Where does “kwik” come from?
kwik (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch quic, from Old Dutch quic, from Proto-West Germanic *kwiku, from Proto-Germanic kwikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- — to live.
kwik (Dutch): the element mercury; thermometer; Alternative...
Definitions
- the element mercury; thermometer; Alternative...
Ancestry of “kwik”, step by step
kwik traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Dutch quic
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | quic | — |
| 2 | Old Dutch | quic | living, alive |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *kwiku | alive |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kwikwaz | alive; lively, quick |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |
via Dutch kwikzilver
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | kwikzilver | mercury |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | quicsilver | — |