usquam

Forms

usquam (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

De Vaan and Wiktionary take it as a compound of ⟨*us⟩, from an older ⟨*ut(V)s⟩ “so that, as”, an extended form of ut, and the indefinite -quam; uspiam (“somewhere”) is formed alike, and the extended stem is also in Oscan puz (“that, as”).^[2][1][3] Lewis and Short took ⟨us-⟩ from ubi (“where”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan gives Plautus as its first author.^[2] In the Casina someone believes that neither at Nemea nor at Olympia nor anywhere are games held so merry.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It is “anywhere”, mostly in negative contexts, and also in relative and conditional clauses (Virgil: if justice is anything anywhere), in questions and after comparatives.^[3] Lewis and Short note that uspiam is also used affirmatively.^[4] Nōn usquam esse is to be dead, as Suetonius' astrologers say of Vitellius, and esse usquam alicui is to count for something with someone (Terence).^[3] It is also “to any place”, anywhere in a book (Cicero), in any person or thing, and “in any circumstances”.^[3]

Church Latin glosses it “anywhere, in or at any place”.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus in the sense “anywhere”.^[2][3][6]
• 190–159 BC – Terence in the sense “to any place”.^[3][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of anywhere in a book.^[3][6]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius of being dead.^[3][6]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Anywhere, in any place (usually with a negative).^[3][1][5]
2. To any place.^[3]
3. In any circumstances, ever.^[3]
4. nōn usquam esse, to be dead;^[3] usquam esse alicui, to count for something.^[3]

Word family

• nusquam

Related words

• ut
• uspiam

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 h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de