Etymologically
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qualus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word qualus

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Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkʷaː.ɫʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkʷaː.lus][1]

Forms

quālus m (genitive quālī); second declension[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2] It has often been compared with Old Church Slavonic кошь (košĭ, “wicker basket”), from *kwos-i̯o-.[2][3] De Vaan, following Leumann, prefers an instrument noun *kwat-slo- “sieve”, from the root of quatiō “to shake”, and links cōlum “strainer” as a parallel formation; but he warns that the whole account depends on that connection.[2] The diminutive is quasillum.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, and Cato has the neuter plural quāla.[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a wicker basket used in farming and the household, as Virgil's basket for straining wine and Horace's wool basket.[3][4] The neuter quālum is also used, as in Cato and Columella.[4][3] In Medieval Latin it is found in glosses as a basket, especially for gathering grapes.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses both genders.[4][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a wicker strainer.[4][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A wicker basket.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  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 Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
Cite this entry

“Qualus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/qualus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·