quick

The word "quick" originates from the Old English cwic, meaning "alive, living, animate." This sense is preserved in the biblical phrase "the quick and the dead." This Old English term derives from the Proto-Germanic kwikwaz, which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root gʷih₃wós ("alive"). The semantic evolution from "alive" to "rapid, swift" is a fascinating example of meaning shift, where the characteristic energy and vitality associated with life became metaphorically linked to speed and promptness. By the 13th century, "quick" had fully acquired its primary modern sense of moving or acting with speed, while the original meaning of "alive" became archaic.

The word is a simplex form of Old English origin. It functions as a complete root adjective.