quidam

Forms

quīdam (feminine quaedam, neuter quiddam); indefinite pronoun^[1]

Etymology

It is the relative quī (in the pronoun, probably ⟨*quisdam⟩ from quis) with the suffix ⟨-dam⟩, whose origin is uncertain; the same suffix is in quondam.^[2][1] Köbler connects it with the PIE particle Proto-Indo-European *de- (“here, then”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on: est rēs quaedam quam occultābam tibi dīcere “there is a certain matter I was hiding from you”.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Quīdam refers to a particular person or thing that is not named: “a certain, someone, something”.^[2][4] It can single out an outstanding example of its kind and, qualifying a term, means “a kind of, what might be called” (medium quoddam “a sort of middle”).^[2][5]

Accius has an old plural quēsdam.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: amat mulier quaedam quendam.^[2][3]
• 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses the old plural quēsdam.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses quīdam for “a kind of”.^[2][3]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. A certain person, someone;^[2][4] (neuter quiddam) something.^[2][4]
2. (adjective) A certain, a particular.^[2][5]
3. A kind of, what might be called.^[2][5]

Word family

• cuiusdammodī
• quādamtenus

Related words

• quī
• quis
• quondam
• aliquis

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson