ABOUT-WORDS-L Archives

Archiver > ABOUT-WORDS > 2005-11 > 1131233598


From: "Israel \"izzy\" Cohen" <>
Subject: Re: [ABOUT WORDS] Quick
Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 01:33:18 +0200
References: <BAY106-F437F1B52AFC98F0BA5CB4F0630@phx.gbl>


> 1. The original meaning of the word must be LIVING.
> 2. The saying THE QUICK AND THE DEAD ... really mean[s] the living and
> the dead.
> 3. The nail QUICK refers to the living tissue under the finger nail.
> 4. A lot of references to the quickening effect of spirit in the bible,
> so something that gives you more life.
> 5. Today's meaning of QUICK must have evolved into meaning something that
> moves fast as opposed to something dead that does not move at all.
> 8. Just now I decided to google THE QUICK AND THE DEAD and found the
> following link which supports this hypothesis.
> http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/quick.html
> Alana

Thanks, Alana. I was waiting for someone to post that explanation. I think
it is also worth mentioning that the "living" meaning of "quick" also
explains such terms as quicksilver (mercury), quicklime (a loan translation
of Latin calx viva), and quicksand.

I just looked up the Hebrew term for quicklime. Using X for het, it is SeeD
Xai. I think lime (calcium oxide) was exported by Phoenicians from Sidon,
Lebanon. Xai means "alive".

izzy

This thread: