Etymologically
Log in

quidni

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word quidni

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (quis,nī)

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈkʷɪn.niː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈkʷid.ni][1]

Forms

quidnī? (not comparable)[1] It is also written as two words, which may be separated: quid ego nī teneam?[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from quid (“what, why”), the neuter of quis (“who”), and nī (“unless, if not”): “why not?”, “how else?”.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Plautus' Asinaria one speaker says “I'll take it up as you bid”, and the other answers quidnī?, “of course”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

It introduces questions with the subjunctive, “why should I not?”, meaning “naturally, of course”;[2][3] Lewis and Short note that it is rhetorical, while cūr nōn expects an answer.[2][3] Without a verb it comments on what was said, as in Terence and Cicero, and Varro and Apuleius use it parenthetically.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus as a reply.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero.[2][4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro parenthetically.[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Why not?; naturally, of course (with the subjunctive).[2][1][3]
  2. (without a verb, in replies) Of course![2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 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
Cite this entry

“Quidni.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/quidni. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·