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quanto

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Forms

quantō (not comparable)[1]

Etymology

It is the ablative of quantum (“how much”), the neuter of quantus (“how great”), used as an adverb: “by how much”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Naevius, who exclaims quantō lībertātem hanc hīc superat servitūs!, “how far slavery here surpasses this freedom!”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Quantō asks “by how much?” with a comparative or a word implying comparison, and exclaims “how much (more)!”.[2][1] As a relative it is “by how much (the more)”, as in Plautus' quantō ego plūs properō, prōcēdit minus, “the more I hurry, the less I get on”, usually answered by tantō: quantō … longior, tantō brevior, “the longer …, the shorter”.[2][1] Without a comparison it is “in what degree”.[2] Quantō minus quam is “how nearly”.[2]

Church Latin glosses it “by how much, the more”.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius: quantō lībertātem hanc hīc superat servitūs!.[2][3]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: quantō ego plūs properō, prōcēdit minus.[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. By how much? (in questions and exclamations).[2][1][4]
  2. By as much as, the more (relative; often with tantō).[2][1][4]
  3. In what degree.[2]
  4. quantō minus quam: how nearly.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson