Quit
/kwɪt/noun
To leave, stop, or give up; also, to be free of an obligation or debt.
Did you know?In Middle English, to quit someone could mean to free them from a debt or obligation, so the word originally carried the energy of release, not surrender.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷeyt-
“to be quiet, rest, be calm”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kwitjaną
“to make quiet, release, free”
Old English
OE
cwittan
“to release, repay, free from obligation”
Middle English
ME
quiten
“to discharge a debt, free someone, leave alone”
Modern English
English
quit
“to leave, stop, or relinquish”