quoque

Forms

quoque (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

De Vaan derives it from ⟨*quō-que⟩, the ablative quō of the relative quī with the enclitic -que, with the first long vowel shortened before the enclitic, as in quasi.^[2][1] The OLD compares Sanskrit क्वच (kvaca, “in any case”), and Lewis & Short call the origin doubtful, perhaps ⟨*quomque⟩.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Livius Andronicus on.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Quoque means “likewise, also, too”: it marks that the same holds of a second item, adds something, and, of an extreme case, means “even”.^[3][4] It normally follows the word it belongs to.^[3][4]

It is distinct from quōque, the ablative of quisque or et quō.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 280–200 BC – First found in Livius Andronicus.^[2][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: immō est quoque “indeed he is, too”.^[3][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar: Helvētiī quoque reliquōs Gallōs virtūte praecēdunt.^[4][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. also, too, likewise.^[3][4]
2. Besides, as well.^[3]
3. Even, indeed.^[3][1]

Related words

• quī
• etiam
• et

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de