Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “queasy” come from?

Queasy comes from Middle English coysy, from Old Norse kveisa, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰeydʰ-, a root meaning to twist or turn.

queasy (English): Experiencing or causing nausea or uneasiness,...

Definitions

  1. Experiencing or causing nausea or uneasiness,...

Ancestry of “queasy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcoysy—
2Old Norsekveisaa pimple; a mark on the head; boil
3Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰeydʰ-mud, filth

Words derived from “queasy”

  • queasiness
  • queasily
  • queazen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰeydʰ- →