Where does “megaquake” come from?

megaquake (English) comes from English Quake, from Middle English quaken, from Old English cwacian, from Proto-Germanic kwakōną, from Proto-Indo-European gʷog- — to shake, swing.

megaquake (English): A megathrust earthquake; A very powerful...

Definitions

  1. A megathrust earthquake; A very powerful...

Ancestry of “megaquake”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishQuakeThe 99th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an
2Middle EnglishquakenTo tremble with fear or anger; To tremble from...
3Old Englishcwacianto quake
4Proto-Germanickwakōnąto shake, quiver, tremble; to croak
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷog-to shake, swing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷog- →Every word from Proto-Germanic kwakōną →Every word from Old English cwacian →
megaquake — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer