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
| 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 |
Words derived from “quick”