Etymologically
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aliquantus

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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