Where does “quickwitted” come from?
quickwitted (English) comes from English quick, from Middle English quik, 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.
quickwitted (English): Alternative spelling of quick-witted
Definitions
- Alternative spelling of quick-witted
Ancestry of “quickwitted”, step by step
quickwitted traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English quick
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | quick | Moving with speed, rapidity or swiftness, or... |
| 2 | Middle English | quik | living, alive, active; active, alert; vibrant,... |
| 3 | Old English | cwic | living, live, alive; mentally agile; intelligent,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *kwiku | alive |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kwikwaz | alive; lively, quick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |