Where does “quicksilvery” come from?
quicksilvery (English) comes from English quicksilver, from Middle English quyk silver, from Old English cwicseolfor, 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.
quicksilvery (English): Like quicksilver
Definitions
- Like quicksilver
Ancestry of “quicksilvery”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | quicksilver | The metal mercury; An amalgam of mercury and tin... |
| 2 | Middle English | quyk silver | quicksilver, mercury |
| 3 | Old English | cwicseolfor | mercury |
| 4 | Old English | cwic | living, live, alive; mentally agile; intelligent,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *kwiku | alive |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kwikwaz | alive; lively, quick |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |