Etymologically
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quietus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word quietus

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*kʷyeh₁-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kʷiˈeː.tʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kʷiˈɛː.tus][1]

Forms

quiētus (feminine quiēta, neuter quiētum, comparative quiētior, superlative quiētissimus); first/second-declension participle[1]

Etymology

It is the perfect participle of quiēscō “to rest”, from quiēs “rest”, from Proto-Italic *kʷjētos.[2][1][3] Etymonline and Köbler trace it to Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest, be quiet”).[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of being at rest and calm.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant at rest, asleep, as in Ovid, inactive, of a period uneventful, aloof from politics or neutral, and of things dormant.[2] Of people it meant quiet, peaceable, unhurried, and of places and circumstances free from disturbance, peaceful, at peace, as in Cicero.[2][3] Of the sea and weather it meant calm, as in Caesar, and of the mind tranquil, as in Plautus.[2] Döderlein says quiēs is rest as opposed to activity, tranquillitās calm in action.[6]

In Medieval Latin it meant safe, undisturbed, quit, discharged, and of a dispute settled.[7] It survives in Italian cheto, French coi, Spanish quedo and Romanian încet “slow”.[1] Through Old French coi it is the source of English coy in the early 14th century, English quiet came in the late 14th century, and English quietus “discharge” in the 1530s from Medieval Latin quiētus est “he is quit”.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of rest and calm.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of peaceful countries.[2][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of a calm sea.[2][5]
  • early 14th century – English coy is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. At rest; asleep.[2]
  2. Inactive; neutral; dormant.[2]
  3. Quiet, peaceable.[2]
  4. Undisturbed; at peace.[2]
  5. (of sea, weather) Calm.[2]
  6. Tranquil, untroubled.[2]
  7. (Medieval Latin) Quit, discharged.[7]

Word family

  • inquiētus
  • quiētō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Quietus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/quietus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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