'quicken' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'cwic' (and the verb-forming element '‑en'/'‑ian'), where 'cwic' meant 'alive' and the suffix meant 'to make' or 'cause to be'.

'quicken' changed from Old English 'cwician'/'cwician' into Middle English forms such as 'quiken' or 'quicken' and eventually became the modern English verb 'quicken'.

Initially, it meant 'to make alive' or 'to give life'; over time it broadened to include 'to enliven' and 'to make faster/accelerate', while the original sense of 'give life' became less common.