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quin

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkʷiːn][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkʷin][1]

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]
  • 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