quantus Latin · revision 17817

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=204–169 BC, Ennius|origins=ine-pro *kʷeh₂-nt-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkʷan.tʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkʷan.tus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quantus''' (feminine quanta, neuter quantum); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+ An inscription spells it ''quamt-''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*kʷānto-|t=how great]], from ⟨*kʷeh₂-nt-⟩, built on the feminine stem of the relative pronoun (see [[quam]]) with the suffix of [[tantus]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary gives two analyses: a thematized [[ine-pro|*kʷéh₂onts|t=how much]], or a ⟨*-tos⟩ derivative.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare Umbrian [[m|xum|panta|t=how much]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Ennius;^(Köbler 2010) Plautus has ''quanta istaec hominum summast?'' “how large is that number of men?”^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Quantus'' asks “how great? how much?” and exclaims “how great!” (also of smallness); in indirect questions and relative clauses it means “of what size, as great as”, in the plural “how many”.^(OLD 2012)^(Stelten 1995) It is the correlative of ''[[tantus]]'' (''tantus … quantus'' “as great as”), and ''quantum maximum potest'' means “as great as possible”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Its neuter ''[[quantum]]'' is used as a noun and adverb, and ''quantō … tantō'' means “the more … the more”.^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995) From it come ''[[quantitās]]'' “quantity” and ''[[quantulus]]'' “how little”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – First found in Ennius.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''quanta istaec hominum summast?''^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence: ''conveniet numerus quantum dēbuī'', “the sum will match what I owed”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(interrogative)'' How [[m|en|great]]? how much?^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(exclamatory)'' How great!^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(relative)'' Of what size, as great as;^(OLD 2012) ''(plural)'' how many, as many as.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''tantus … quantus'', as great as.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''quantum maximum'', ''quantum potest'', as great as possible.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[quantillus]]

+ * [[quantīsper]]

+ * [[quantitās]]

+ * [[quantōcius]]

+ * [[quantopere]]

+ * [[quantulus]]

+ * [[quantuscumque]]

+ * [[quantuslibet]]

+ * [[quantusquantus]]

+ * [[quantusvīs]]

+ * [[aliquantus]]

+ * [[quantō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tantus]]

+ * [[quam]]

+ * [[quot]]

+ * [[quālis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}