Etymology Dictionary

QUAINT,  neat, odd, whimsical.  (F.,—L.)   M. E. queint, Chaucer, C. T. 10553; commonly with the sense of 'famous, excellent.'   Also spelt quoynt, Rob. of Glouc. p. 72, l. 18; p. 157, l. 14.   Also cwoint, Ancren Riwle, p. 140, l. 21; coint, coynt, Will. of Palerne, 653, 1981; koynt, 4090.—O. F. coint, 'quaint, compt, neat, fine, spruce, brisk, trim;' Cot.   Cf. Ital. conto, 'known, noted, counted;' Florio.   Certainly derived from Lat. cognitus, known, well-known, famous; though confused (more in F. than in E.) with Lat. comptus, neat, adorned, pp. of cōmere, to arrange, adorn.   β. Cognitus is used as the pp. of cognoscere, to know, and is compounded of co- (for com = cum, with) and -gnitus (for -gnŏtus = gnōtus), known, used as pp. of gnoscere, noscere, to know; see Cognition.   γ. I may add that Lat. cōmere = co-imere, comp. of co- ( = com = cum), and emere, to take.   ¶ In F. the word took the sense of 'trim,' as noted; in E. it meant famous, remarkable, curious, strange, &c.   Der. quaint-ly, quaint-ness, ac-quaint. [†]

ADDENDA

Cf. Anglo-F. quaintement, quaintly, Langtoft's Chron. i. 258.