quit

quit · adjective, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kʷyéh₁-ti-s
2. Latin · derived fromquietus
3. Old French · derived fromquitter
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromquitter
5. Middle English · inherited fromquiten
6. English todayquit

From Middle English quiten, quyten, from Anglo-Norman quitter, Old French quitter, from quitte (“acquitted, quit”), ultimately from Latin quietus, which itself derives from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyéh₁-ti-s, from *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”). Doublet of coy, quite, quiet, and quietus. Compare Dutch kwijten (“to quit”), German Low German quitten (“to quit”), German quitten, quittieren, Danish kvitte, Swedish qvitta, kvitta (“to quit, leave, set off”), Icelandic kvitta.

quit · noun²

Probably of imitative origin.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 19th c. Any of numerous species of small passerine birds native to tropical America.