Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “quits” come from?

Quits comes from Middle English quiten, from Old French quitter, from Medieval Latin quietus meaning "at peace or settled," from Proto-Italic kʷjētos.

quits (English): On equal monetary terms; neither owing or being...

Definitions

  1. On equal monetary terms; neither owing or being...

Ancestry of “quits”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishquitTo pay; To repay for; To repay, pay back
2Middle Englishquiten—
3Anglo-Normanquitterto liberate; to free
4Old Frenchquitterto liberate; to free
5Old Frenchquittefree; liberated
6Latinquiētus—
7Latinquiēscō—
8Latinquiēs—
9Proto-Italickʷiētis—
10Proto-Indo-Europeankʷyéh₁tis—
11Proto-Indo-Europeankʷyeh₁-to rest; rest, peace
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷyeh₁- →