Etymologically
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usquam

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈʊs.kʷãː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈus.kʷam][1]

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

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