The quick and the dead -- Vite! Vite!

[Hen Hanna]

What's it mean and what's its origin — and is that a better term than etymology?

It's from the bible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_quick_and_the_dead_(idiom)
"Quick" is an old word meaning "alive2.
--
David

just now I realized that the book (and movie) title
The naked and the dead
was prob based on that.

_____________________

what is the phrase (The quick and the dead) in French and German?


From Old French viste --> Vite!

From Latin vegetus ‎(“lively, animated”‎).

(lively) French animé, vivant


Borrowed from Old French vegetable, from Latin vegetābilis ‎(“able to live and grow”‎), derived from vegetāre ‎(“to enliven”‎)


So vegetable is both Quick and Slow.

HH

[Dingbat]

What's it mean and what's its origin — and is that a better term than etymology?

It's from the bible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_quick_and_the_dead_(idiom)
"Quick" is an old word meaning "alive2.
--
David

Tyndale's English, like Indian English, seems to use the definite article
sparingly: <<... Christ which shall iudge quicke and deed ... - 2 Tim 4:1>>

When did using "the" as much as it's used now become de rigeur?

[Dingbat]

Post by Hen Hanna
what is the phrase (The quick and the dead) in French and German?
From Old French viste --> Vite!

Wiktionary says vite has 3 possible derivations from 3 different Latin words:

From Old French viste, of disputed origin:

According to Littré, from Italian visto (“seen”), from Vulgar Latin *visitus, from Latin vidēre. The adverb corresponds with à vue (“rapidly, without notice”); compare Italian avvisto (“noticed, adroit”).[1]

Derived from an onomatopoeia expressing rapid movement.[2]

From Latin vegetus (“lively, animated”).

According to Nicot, from Latin versūtus (“adroit, dexterous”).[3]

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vite