quisling

Where does the word "quisling" come from? It comes from Danish Kvislemark, passing through Norwegian before entering English (1940 onward).

Quisling’s story begins in Danish: Kvislemark meant “a place name.” A Danish village name combining 'kvissel' (cleft branch) and 'mark' (borderland). By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Norwegian as Quisling. Latinized surname adopted by an ancestor of Vidkun Quisling, after the place name. It reached English by 1940 onward as quisling. Coined after Vidkun Quisling, who headed Norway's Nazi puppet government. Today, quisling means a traitor who collaborates with an occupying enemy force.

1. Stage 1 · Danish · medieval Kvislemark "a place name", a Danish village name combining 'kvissel' (cleft branch) and 'mark' (borderland).
2. Stage 2 · Norwegian · 1600s Quisling "a family surname", Latinized surname adopted by an ancestor of Vidkun Quisling, after the place name.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1940 onward quisling "a traitor who collaborates with an occupying enemy", coined after Vidkun Quisling, who headed Norway's Nazi puppet government.