Where does “Quick” come from?

Quick (English) comes from Middle English quik, from Old English cwic, from Proto-West Germanic *kwiku, from Proto-Germanic kwikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- — to live.

Quick (English): Moving with speed, rapidity or swiftness, or capable of doing so; rapid; fast

Definitions

  1. Moving with speed, rapidity or swiftness, or capable of doing so; rapid; fast

Ancestry of “Quick”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishquikliving, alive, active; active, alert; vibrant,...
2Old Englishcwicliving, live, alive; mentally agile; intelligent,...
3Proto-West Germanic*kwikualive
4Proto-Germanickwikwazalive; lively, quick
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷih₃wósalive, living
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʷeih₃w-to live

Words derived from “Quick

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w-
Quick — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer