quin

Forms

quīn (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from the old ablative quī “how, why” and the negative particle nē, first “why not?”.^{[2][3][1][4][5]} De Vaan explains the adverb ⟨quī⟩ as an old instrumental Proto-Indo-European *kʷih₁ of the interrogative pronoun.^[6] Wiktionary takes the conjunction rather from the relative ⟨quī⟩ and its ablative, “by which not”.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Plautus;^[5] his characters use it in exhortations, quīn tū hīc manēs?, “why don't you stay here?”, and in subordinate clauses after verbs of hindering.^[2]

Semantic evolution

As an adverb quīn asks “why not?” in questions that amount to commands, and introduces a statement that confirms and outdoes what precedes, “indeed, in fact”;^[2][3][1] quīn etiam adds a stronger point, “and what is more”.^[2][3][1]

As a conjunction, after negative or quasi-negative clauses, it means “who does not, but that, without”, “from (doing)” after verbs of hindering and delaying, and “that” after expressions of not doubting.^[2][1] Church Latin keeps the same range.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: quīn tū hīc manēs?;^[2][5] quid tū dubitās quīn … fūr lēnō siet?, “why do you doubt that the pimp is a thief?”^[2][5]
• 190–159 BC – Terence: nec mora ūllast quīn eam uxōrem dūcam, “there is nothing to stop me marrying her”.^[2][5]
• 234–149 BC – Cato tells the farmer not to let the fire go out, quīn semper siet, “so that it is always burning”.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (in questions) why not?, come on!^[2][3][1]
2. Indeed, in fact;^[2][1] quīn etiam, and what is more.^[2][1]

Conjunction

1. (after negatives) Who does not, but that, without.^[2][1][4]
2. (after verbs of hindering) From (doing), so that … not.^[2][1]
3. (after expressions of not doubting) That.^[2][1]

Related words

• quī
• quidnī
• quōminus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill