Where does “quikselver” come from?

quikselver (Middle English) comes from Old English cwicseolfor, 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.

quikselver (Middle English): Alternative form of quyk silver

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of quyk silver

Ancestry of “quikselver”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcwicseolformercury
2Old Englishcwicliving, live, alive; mentally agile; intelligent,...
3Proto-West Germanic*kwikualive
4Proto-Germanickwikwazalive; lively, quick
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷih₃wósalive, living
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʷeih₃w-to live
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós →Every word from Proto-Germanic kwikwaz →