Where does “quickwittedness” come from?
quickwittedness (English) comes from English quickwitted, 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.
quickwittedness (English): The state or condition of being quickwitted
Definitions
- The state or condition of being quickwitted
Ancestry of “quickwittedness”, step by step
quickwittedness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English quickwitted
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | quickwitted | Alternative spelling of quick-witted |
| 2 | English | quick | Moving with speed, rapidity or swiftness, or... |
| 3 | Middle English | quik | living, alive, active; active, alert; vibrant,... |
| 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 |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |