English
quietus
Quietus comes from Medieval Latin quiētus est, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- ‘to rest’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷyeh₁-1‘to rest’root named by Wiktionary
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500quiētus est1literally ‘he is quiet’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602quietus1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English quietus
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “When he himſelfe might his Quietus make / With…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷyeh₁-Wiktionary, English quietus‘to rest’root named by Wiktionary
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500quiētus estWiktionary, English quietusliterally ‘he is quiet’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602quietusWiktionary, English quietus. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “When he himſelfe might his Quietus make / With…”
first attested First attested in the 1530s. Earlier attested as Late Middle English quietus est. (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)
The story
First attested in the 1530s. Earlier attested as Late Middle English quietus est.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- ‘to rest’
while, quite, whilst, quit, coy, tranquil, requiem, quiescent, 18 more
Today it means
noun A stillness or pause; something that quiets or represses; removal from activity.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “quietus”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- / quietus