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quicumque

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word quicumque

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kʷiːˈkʊŋ.kʷɛ][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kʷiˈkum.kʷe][1]

Forms

quīcumque (feminine quaecumque, neuter quodcumque); relative pronoun with an indeclinable portion[1] It is also spelled -cunque and -quomque, and declines like quī.[2] An old nominative plural is quēscumque.[3][2] The parts can be separated: Terence has cum quibus erat cumque ūnā, and Cicero quam sē cumque in partem.[3]

Etymology

It is formed from the relative quī and the generalizing suffix -cumque “-ever”.[2][1] The spelling ⟨quīcunque⟩ reflects the assimilated pronunciation.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on.[4]

Semantic evolution

Quīcumque means “whoever, whatever”: as a relative “who … at any time”, generalizing “anyone who, anything that”, and in parentheses “no matter who or what” (quodcumque accidit “whatever happens”).[2][5] As an indefinite it means “anyone whatever”, and as an adjective “any — that, whatever —”, “any at all”.[2][1] It can also introduce an indirect question.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – First found in Plautus.[4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence separates the parts: cum quibus erat cumque ūnā.[3][4]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust: plēbēs, quodcumque accidit, prō victīs est, “whatever happens, the common people count as the defeated”.[2][4]
  • 40–102/103 AD – Martial uses it as an indefinite: nōn quīcumque capit, “not just anyone who receives”.[2][4]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. whoever, whatever, anyone who, anything that.[2][3][1][5]
  2. No matter who, no matter what.[2]
  3. Anyone whatever, anything whatever.[2]

Determiner

  1. Whatever —, any — that.[2]
  2. Any at all, any whatever.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon 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 Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Quicumque.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/quicumque. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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