quidam Latin · revision 17736

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=la quī}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkʷiː.dãː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkʷiː.dam]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quīdam''' (feminine quaedam, neuter quiddam); indefinite pronoun^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the relative [[quī]] (in the pronoun, probably ⟨*quisdam⟩ from [[quis]]) with the suffix ⟨-dam⟩, whose origin is uncertain; the same suffix is in [[quondam]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Köbler connects it with the PIE particle [[ine-pro|*de-|t=here, then]].^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Plautus on: ''est rēs quaedam quam occultābam tibi dīcere'' “there is a certain matter I was hiding from you”.^(Köbler 2010)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Quīdam'' refers to a particular person or thing that is not named: “a certain, someone, something”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It can single out an outstanding example of its kind and, qualifying a term, means “a kind of, what might be called” (''medium quoddam'' “a sort of middle”).^(OLD 2012)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ Accius has an old plural ''quēsdam''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''amat mulier quaedam quendam''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses the old plural ''quēsdam''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses ''quīdam'' for “a kind of”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # A certain person, someone;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) ''(neuter quiddam)'' something.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(adjective)'' A [[m|en|certain]], a particular.^(OLD 2012)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # A kind of, what might be called.^(OLD 2012)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cuiusdammodī]]

+ * [[quādamtenus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quī]]

+ * [[quis]]

+ * [[quondam]]

+ * [[aliquis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}