quagmire
/ˈkwɒɡˌmaɪə(r)/
noun
Origin
Middle English
quag + mire — shaking marsh
Overview
Meaning Now
- An area of soft, boggy ground that gives way underfoot.
- An awkward, complex, or hazardous situation that is difficult to escape from.
Literal older meaning
a shaking or boggy marsh
Language path
Middle English → English
Earliest form
quagmire
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term reflects the linguistic tendency in English to combine descriptive roots to identify treacherous terrain, common in the damp, marshy landscapes of historical Britain.
Evolution
- Middle English
quabbe
“a marshy or boggy place”
Originating from the verb 'quab' meaning to shake or quiver.
- 16th century
quagmire
“a soft, wet area of land”
Compound formation of 'quag' (shortened from 'quab') and 'mire'.
- 19th century
quagmire
“figurative sense of a difficult situation”
Metaphorical extension from physical terrain to abstract predicament.
Connections
Word parts
quag
root
to shake or quiver
mire
root
bog or swampy ground
Related across languages
Middle Low German
quabbe
shaking ground
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.