# An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Q (full text)

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Q.
quabbeln, verb, ‘to shake or tremble’ (of fat and jelly), Modern High German only, originally a Low German word, which is usually derived from Low German quabbel (Dutch kwabbe), ‘dewlap.’
Quacksalber, masculine, ‘quack’; Modern High German only; originally a Low German word; corresponding to English quack, Dutch kwakzalver, a compound of zalf, ‘salve’ (compare Old High German salbâni, ‘seller of ointment, physician’). The first part of the compound seems to come from the verb quaken (which see), ‘to boast’; hence Quacksalber, ‘boasting physician’?.
Quader, masculine, ‘squared stone,’ from the equivalent Middle High German quâder, masculine and neuter, which is based on Latin quā̆drum, ‘square,’ or rather quā̆drus (scil. lapis), ‘square stone.’ Compare Italian quadro, ‘square,’ Provençal caire, ‘square stone’ (Italian quadrello, French carreau).
quaken, verb, ‘to quack, croak,’ Modern High German only, originally a Low German word; compare Dutch kwaken, ‘to croak,’ to which kwakken, ‘to make a noise,’ is allied, English to quack. A late onomatopoetic term.
Qual, feminine, ‘torment, pain,’ from Middle High German quâl, quâle (kále), Old High German and Old Saxon quâla, feminine, ‘anguish, torture’; compare Dutch kwaal, ‘pain,’ Anglo-Saxon cwalu, ‘violent death.’ To this word is allied a strong root verb Old High German quëlan (Middle High German quëln), ‘to be in violent pain’ (Anglo-Saxon cwëlan, ‘to die’), of which the factitive is Modern High German quälen, Middle High German quęln, Old High German quęllen (from *qualljan), ‘to torture, torment to death.’ The Teutonic root qel (qal) is primitively connected with Lithuanian gelti, ‘to prick’ (gélia, ‘it pains’), gėlà, ‘pain,’ Old Slovenian žalĭ, ‘hurt’ (Aryan root gē̆l).
Qualm, masculine, ‘vapour,’ Modern High German only, formed from the equivalent Low German and Dutch kwalm, the early history of which is obscure. It is identical probably with Middle High German twalm, ‘stupor, faint.’
Quappe, feminine, ‘eel-pout, tadpole,’ Modern High German only, from Low German in which the Old Low German word quappa occurs (compare Dutch kwab); the latter is primitively allied to Old Prussian gabawo, ‘toad,’ Old Slovenian żaba (from the primary form *gêba), ‘frog.’ The assumption that the word is borrowed from Latin capito is less probable.
Quark, masculine, ‘curds, filth,’ from late Middle High German twarc (g), quarc (zwarc), ‘whey cheese,’ which is usually connected with Middle High German twërn, ‘to turn, stir, mix.’ It is more probably related to the equivalent Slavonic cognates; compare Russian tvarogŭ, Polish tvarog. Since Quark first appears in late Middle High German, and is unknown to the other Teutonic languages, it may be assumed that it was borrowed from Slavonic. Compare Quirl.
Quart, neuter, ‘quart, quarto,’ from Middle High German quart, feminine and neuter, ‘fourth part of anything’; formed like Dutch kwart and English quart from the Romance cognates, Italian quarto, French quart.
Quarz, masculine, ‘quartz,’ from the equivalent Middle High German quarz; its relation to Dutch kwarts, ​English quartz, Italian quarzo, and French quartz has not yet been explained.
Quast, masculine, ‘tuft, tassel,’ from Middle High German quast (queste, koste), masculine and feminine, ‘cluster of leaves, bath-brush’ (Old High German questa, ‘apron of leaves’); compare Dutch kwast, ‘brush for sprinkling holy water, brush’ (Danish kost, ‘besom,’ akin to Old Icelandic kvistr, ‘branch’).
queck, adjective, ‘lively, quick,’ from Middle High German quëc (ck), Old High German quëc (cch), ‘living, fresh, gay’; for its early history see under the variant keck. —
Quecksilber, neuter, ‘quicksilver,’ from the equivalent Middle High German quëcsilber, Old High German quëcsilbar; an imitation, like Dutch kwikzilver, English quicksilver (Anglo-Saxon cwicseolfor), of the common Romance argentum vivum; compare Italian argento vivo, French vif-argent.
Quecke, feminine, ‘quick-grass,’ Modern High German only, from Low German; compare Dutch kweek, Anglo-Saxon cwiče, English quitch-, couch-grass; these words seem to be connected with queck, ‘living,’ as a term for a luxuriant weed. “No plant has more vitality than this species of grass, which is propagated by its root, and therefore is very difficult to extirpate.”
Quelle, feminine, ‘spring, source,’ first occurs in early Modern High German (naturalised by Luther); a late derivative of the Modern High German strong verb quellen, Middle High German quëllen, Old High German quëllan. From the variant kal (by gradation qel), derived from Old Icelandic kelda, ‘spring’ (whence Finnish kaltio), and Gothic *kaldiggs, which is implied by Old Slovenian kladęzĭ, ‘spring’; likewise Anglo-Saxon collen, ‘swollen.’ The prehistoric root gel (gol) is related to Sanscrit jala, ‘water,’ gal, ‘to curl.’ — quellen, ‘to soak, cause to swell,’ is a factitive of Old High German quëllan, ‘to swell.’
Quendel, masculine, ‘wild thyme,’ from the equivalent Middle High German quëndel, most frequently quënel (konel), Old High German quënala (chonala), feminine; compare Dutch kwendel, Anglo-Saxon cunele. It is hardly probable that this is an early loan-word from Latin conîla (Greek κονίλη), ‘thyme,’ since the Romance languages have not preserved the word.
quengeln, verb, ‘to be peevish, grumble,’ Modern High German only, an intensive form of Modern High German twęngen, ‘to press’ (with East Middle German qu for tw); see zwängen.
Quentchen, neuter, ‘drachm, dram,’ from Middle High German quëntîn (quintîn), ‘fourth (originally perhaps fifth?) part of a Lot (half-an-ounce)’; from Middle Latin quintînus, which is wanting in Romance.
quer, adverb, ‘athwart, crosswise,’ from the equivalent Middle High German (Middle German) twër (hence twër, feminine, ‘diagonal’); for further references see Zwerch-.
Quetsche, feminine, see Zwetsche.
quetschen, verb, ‘to crash, squeeze,’ from the equivalent Middle High German quętzen (even yet dialectic quetzen), quętschen; akin to Middle Low German quattern, quettern (Dutch kwetsen, borrowed from High German?).
quicken, verb, ‘to squeak, squeal,’ Modern High German only, a recent onomatopoetic word.
Quirl, masculine, ‘whisk, twirling stick,’ from the equivalent Middle High German twirel, twirl!, Old High German dwiril, ‘stirring stick’; akin to Middle High German twërn, Old High German dwëran, ‘to turn, stir’; allied to the equivalent Old Icelandic substantive þvara. With the Teutonic root þwer (Aryan twer), are connected Greek τορύνη, and Latin trua, ‘stirring spoon.’ It is doubtful whether Quark is allied.
quitt, adjective, ‘quit, rid,’ from Middle High German quī̆t, ‘released, unencumbered, free’; borrowed about 1200 A.D. from the equivalent French quitte, whence also Dutch kwijt, English quit (also English quite); French quitte and quitter, ‘to let go, forsake,’ are derived from Latin quietare.
Quitte, feminine, ‘quince,’ from the equivalent Middle High German quiten, feminine (Old High German *quitina is wanting), with the remarkable variant küten, from Old High German chutina (Swiss χütene), ‘quince.’ This latter form alone renders it possible that Quitte was borrowed from the equivalent Romance cotônea, which is probably represented by Italian cotogna and French coing (whence English quince and Dutch kwee). The connection between Latin cotônea (parallel form cottanum) and Greek κυδώνεα is obscure, and so is the relation of Old High German *quitina to chutina. if the word was borrowed, it was introduced contemporaneously with Pflaume.