Where does “quic” come from?

quic (Middle English) comes 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.

quic (Middle English): Alternative form of quik

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of quik

Ancestry of “quic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcwicliving, live, alive; mentally agile; intelligent,...
2Proto-West Germanic*kwikualive
3Proto-Germanickwikwazalive; lively, quick
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʷih₃wósalive, living
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷeih₃w-to live

Words derived from “quic”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- →
quic — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer