Where does “quick” come from?
Quick comes from Middle English quik, Old English cwic, Proto-West Germanic kwik(k)w, Proto-Germanic kwikwaz, and Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós, ultimately from the PIE root gʷeih₃w-.
quick (English): Moving with speed, rapidity or swiftness, or...
Definitions
- Moving with speed, rapidity or swiftness, or...
Ancestry of “quick”, step by step
quick traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English quik
| 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 | alive |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kwikwaz | alive; lively, quick |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |
via Middle English quic
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | quic | Alternative form of quik |