Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “cwicseolfor” come from?

cwicseolfor (Old 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.

cwicseolfor (Old English): mercury

Definitions

  1. mercury

Ancestry of “cwicseolfor”, step by step

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

Words derived from “cwicseolfor”

  • quicksilver
  • quicksilvery
  • quicksilverish
  • quicksilvering
  • quyk silver
  • quikselver
  • quyksilver
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- →