Etymologically
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quamprimum

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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]

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