Etymologically

quotienscumque

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kʷɔ.ti.ẽːˈskʊŋ.kʷɛ][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [kʷot.t͡si.enˈskum.kʷe][1]

Forms

quotiēnscumque (not comparable)[1] It is also spelled quotiēscumque, -cunque and -quonque.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin quotiēns (“how often, as often as”) + -cumque.[2][1] quotiēns is made from quot (“how many”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *kwoti and Proto-Indo-European *kwe/o-ti (“how many”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short cite it first from Cicero, who says in the speech for Cluentius that every time he speaks he seems to stand trial himself.[4]

Semantic evolution

It is a relative adverb, "every time that, as often as, whenever".[2][4][1] Cicero uses it in his speeches and in the Tusculan Disputations, and Nepos uses it too.[4] The Vulgate has hoc facite quotiēnscumque bibētis, “do this, as often as you drink”.[4]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of every time he speaks.[4]
  • c. 100–24 BC – Nepos.[4]
  • 390–406 AD – The Vulgate.[4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Every time that, as often as, whenever.[2][4][1]
  2. However often.[1][4]

References

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