English
quicken
Quicken comes from Middle English quikenen ‘to become alive again after dying’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- ‘to live’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷeyh₃-‘to live’root as named · steps between not traced
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500quikenen‘to become alive again after dying’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526quicken
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷeyh₃-‘to live’root as named · steps between not traced
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500quikenen‘to become alive again after dying’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526quicken
Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “Whoſoever will goo about to ſave his lyfe⸝ shall…”
Formed from quick ‘moving with swiftness’ + -en
Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- ‘to live’
…
Proto-Germanic *kwikwaz ‘alive’
Proto-West Germanic *kwiku ‘alive’
Old English cwic ‘alive’
Middle English quik ‘living’
English quick
The story
Quiken is derived from Old English cwician (‘to bring to life, vivify; to come to life, become living; to quicken’), from cwic (‘alive, live, living; mentally agile; intelligent, keen’) (ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kwikwaz (‘alive; lively; quick’) and Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- (‘to live’)) + -ian (suffix forming verbs from adjectives and nouns). The English word may be analysed as quick (‘moving with swiftness; occurring in a short time; (archaic) alive, living; (archaic) pregnant’) + -en (suffix attached to some adjectives forming transitive verbs meaning ‘to make [adjective]’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- ‘to live’
vital, biology, couch, kidney, vitamin, viable, vivid, revive, hygiene, zodiac, vive, anaerobic, vivacious, convivial, wyvern, vivacity, biogenesis, 61 more
Another origin of quicken
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷeyh₃-‘to live’uncertain
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷih₃wós‘alive’uncertain
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kwikwaz‘alive’uncertain
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kwiku‘alive’uncertain
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cwic‘alive’uncertain
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150cwician‘to bring to life, vivify’uncertain
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500quiken‘probably the European rowan or mountain ash, and possibly also the aspen’
- Englishtodayquicken
From Middle English quiken (‘(chiefly in place names) probably the European rowan or mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), and possibly also the aspen (Populus tremula), juniper (genus Juniperus, specifically the common juniper (Juniperus communis)), or service tree (Sorbus domestica)’), possibly from Old English cwician (‘to bring to life, vivify; to come to life, become living; to quicken’) (see etymology 1).
Another origin of quicken
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500quykas quik‘couch grass’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500quiken‘couch grass’
- Englishtodayquicken
Today it means
verb To put (someone or something) in a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to excite, to rouse.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- / quicken