Quagmiry

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Resembling or characteristic of soft, wet ground that yields under weight and makes movement difficult
2. Having qualities similar to a marshy or boggy surface that sinks or shifts when stepped on
3. Displaying the texture or consistency of ground that is wet and unstable, causing difficulty in walking

Etymology: Quagmiry is simply quagmire with the suffix "-y" attached, so its history is largely the history of its base word. The "-y" ending comes from Old English "-ig", a suffix meaning "full of" or "having the qualities of," which gave English many adjectives such as "misty," "earthy," and "stony." Quagmire itself is the older and more visibly strange part: it is a compound of "quag," a word for a soft, shaking bog, and "mire," meaning mud or swampy ground. Used alone, "quagmiry" describes ground that gives way underfoot. The sense of wet, unstable earth is the literal core, and the term keeps that physical picture closely tied to its root.