Nimbleness
/ˈnɪm.bəl.nəs/noun
The quality of being quick, light, and agile in movement or thought.
Did you know?The core of *nimble* comes from a Germanic root meaning “to seize” or “take,” so the word’s history is tangled with the idea of grasping before you’re grasped.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nem-
“to take, distribute, assign”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*nimaną
“to take, seize”
Old English
OE
nǣmel
“quick to grasp, responsive; nimble”
Middle English
ME
nimble
“quick, agile, prompt”
Modern English
English
nimbleness
“the state or quality of being nimble”