Where does “Quecksilber” come from?
Quecksilber (German) comes from Middle High German quecsilber, from Old High German quecsilbar, from Old High German quec, from Proto-West Germanic kwik(k)w, from Proto-Germanic kwikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- — to live.
Quecksilber (German): mercury
Definitions
- mercury
Ancestry of “Quecksilber”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | quecsilber | — |
| 2 | Old High German | quecsilbar | mercury |
| 3 | Old High German | quec | quick |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kwik(k)w | alive; lively, quick |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kwikwaz | alive; lively, quick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |