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Where does the word "quiet" come from? It comes from Latin quies, passing through Latin and Old French before entering English (1300s).
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Where does the word "quiet" come from? It comes from Latin quies, passing through Latin and Old French before entering English (1300s).
Quiet’s story begins in Latin: quies meant “rest, repose.” The root of 'quit', 'acquit' and 'requiem'. Within Latin, it grew into quietus by ancient. At rest, calm, from quies. From there it passed into Old French as quiete by medieval. Carried into French for a state of calm and stillness. It reached English by 1300s as quiet. Settled as the English word for making little or no noise. Today, quiet means making little or no noise, or a state of calm and peace.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient quies "rest, repose", the root of 'quit', 'acquit' and 'requiem'.
- Stage 2 · Latin · ancient quietus "at rest, calm", at rest, calm, from quies.
- Stage 3 · Old French · medieval quiete "a state of calm and stillness", carried into French for a state of calm and stillness.
- Stage 4 · English · 1300s quiet "making little or no noise, calm and peaceful", settled as the English word for making little or no noise.