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aliquantus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word aliquantus

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
81–43 BC, Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (alius,quantus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin quantus
Latin aliquantus
Latin quantuscumque
Latin quantulus
Latin quantuluscumque

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [a.lɪˈkʷan.tʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [a.liˈkʷan.tus][1]

Forms

aliquantus (feminine aliquanta, neuter aliquantum, adverb aliquantō); first/second-declension adjective[1] The neuter aliquantum is common as a noun and an adverb, beside the adverb aliquantō.[2][1] The plural is rare and late.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin ali- + quantus (“how great”),[1] with the stem of alius (“other”).[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,[4] who has a reply that something was done, “and a good deal, too”, et aliquantum quidem.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means a certain amount of, some, or considerable, a middle term between much and little.[3][2] Sallust has “some fear, but greater hope”, timor aliquantus, sed spes amplior, and Livy a considerable space or journey.[2][5] The neuter aliquantum is used as a noun, often with a genitive: Cicero has some land, some money and gold, a good part of the night.[2] The plural, “a certain number of”, appears only in later writers such as Aurelius Victor and Eutropius.[2][3] The neuters aliquantum and aliquantō serve as adverbs, somewhat or considerably.[2][1]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero, of an amount and with a partitive genitive.[2][4]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust, of some fear.[2][5][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy, of a considerable journey.[2][5][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Some, a certain amount of; considerable, not a little.[3][2][1]
  2. (plural, Late Latin) A certain number of, quite a few.[3][2]

Noun

  1. aliquantum: a certain amount, a good deal (of something).[2][1]

Adverb

  1. aliquantum, aliquantō: somewhat, to some extent, considerably.[2][1]

Word family

  • aliquantillum
  • aliquantīsper
  • aliquantorsum
  • aliquantulus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Cite this entry

“Aliquantus.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/aliquantus. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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