quamprimum

Forms

quamprīmum (not comparable)^[1] It is also written as two words, quam prīmum.^[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is from Latin quam (“as, how”) + prīmum (“first”),^[4][5] an instance of quam with a superlative, meaning “as … as possible”.^[6] prīmum is the adverbial neuter of prīmus (“first”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has it with a form of possum: in the Captivi a character is told to come back as soon as he can, and in the Trinummus a speaker wishes to see a woman dead as soon as possible.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Used alone it means “forthwith, as soon as possible”, and is classical:^[2] Terence uses it in the Adelphoe, Caesar in the Gallic War of someone told to return to him at once, and Cicero in his letters.^[2][3] Virgil has it of seeking to end a hated life as soon as possible, and Propertius of leaving corrupt Baiae.^[2][6][3] The phrase with possum (quam prīmum potes) remained in use beside it.^[2][7] In Ecclesiastical Latin it keeps the same sense,^[8] and Köbler records it in medieval charters.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it with possum, “as soon as one can”.^[2][6][5]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it alone, “as soon as possible”.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in his letters.^[2][3][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it in the Aeneid.^[2][5]
• 57/46–12 BC – Propertius urges leaving Baiae as soon as possible.^[6][3][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. As soon as possible, forthwith, at once.^[2][7][3]

Related words

• quam
• prīmus

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson