quietus (English)
Where does "quietus" come from?
The English noun 'quietus' originated as a short form of the Medieval Latin phrase 'quiētus est', meaning 'he is quiet'[1]. This phrase was used in accounting to signify a final settlement or discharge, a sense that carried into English when the term was first attested in the 1530s[1]. Over time, the meaning broadened to encompass a stillness or pause, and eventually came to signify death[1].
Full etymology tree
- quietus (English), 'A stillness or pause; something that quiets or represses; removal from activity.'
- clipping quiētus est (Medieval Latin)
Ancestors
- *kʷyeh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
Cognates and doublets
- coy (English)
- quiet (English)
- quit (English)
- quite (English)
Sources
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris