siquidem

Forms

siquidem (not comparable)^[1] It is also written separately, sī quidem.^[2][3] Plautus has the old spelling seiquidem.^[2] The first syllable is often short in comedy and regularly in dactylic verse.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin sī (“if”) + quidem (“indeed”), written as one word.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first examples are in Plautus, as in the Poenulus: “if friendship is really to be had, it must be had with this man”.^[2] Köbler dates it from Cicero.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It begins as a strong conditional, if indeed, if it is really the case that, and as a concessive, even supposing, as Plautus' “even if you say you have held back highest Jupiter himself, you will never escape a beating”.^[2] It adds a caveat or rider, at any rate if, and in dialogue qualifies another's remark: “good day, young man” – “yes, if I sell her at her price”.^[2] From there it becomes causal, seeing that, since, as in Plautus' “it must be borne, since my wife holds command”, and explanatory, in that, for.^[2][3] Church Latin glosses it if, indeed, for, because, since,^[5] and in Medieval Latin it is used like autem, further.^[6][1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus as a conditional and causal particle.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence of “if indeed”.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[4][3]

Meanings

Conjunction

1. If indeed, if it is really the case that; even supposing.^[2][3][1]
2. At any rate if, always assuming that.^[2]
3. Seeing that, since, inasmuch as.^[2][3][5][1]
4. In that, for.^[2]
5. (Medieval Latin) Further, moreover, like autem.^[6][1]

Related words

• sī
• quidem

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill