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Why was mercury called quicksilver in the past?

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A periodic table element box for mercury shows its symbol Hg, atomic number 80, atomic weight 200.592, electron configuration, and name. Icons indicate mercury is a transition metal, liquid at room temperature, has a rhombohedral crystal structure, and is weakly basic. — mercury Properties of mercury.

Mercury was historically referred to as "quicksilver" because it is the only elemental metal that exists in a liquid state at room temperature, and its appearance is silvery white. The term "quick" in this context reflects its fluid, mobile nature, while "silver" describes its metallic, lustrous color.1

This association with liquid silver is also reflected in the element's chemical symbol, Hg, which is derived from the Latin word hydrargyrum, meaning "liquid silver". Throughout history, this unique property of being a mobile, liquid metal made it a subject of great interest in alchemy and early science, leading to its widespread use in medicine, mining, and various industrial applications.12