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.
Ancestry of “Quick”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | quik | living, alive, active; active, alert; vibrant,... |
| 2 | Old English | cwic | living, live, alive; mentally agile; intelligent,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *kwiku | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kwikwaz | alive; lively, quick |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |