cur Latin · revision 17820

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 235–200 BC, Naevius|origins=ine-pro *kʷor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkuːr]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkur]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cūr''' (not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old spelling ''quōr'' occurs twelve times in Plautus and in Varro, Lucretius and Cicero; manuscripts also have ''qūr'' and ''quūr'', and inscriptions ''qur''.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*kʷōr]], [[inh|ine-pro|*kʷōr|t=where?]], from ⟨*kʷor⟩, built on the interrogative stem [[m|ine-pro|*kʷo-]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Old Latin ⟨quōr⟩ became ⟨cūr⟩ as ⟨*bʰōr⟩ became [[fūr]] “thief”; the raising to ⟨-ūr⟩ happened only in stressed syllables, since the final ⟨-ōr⟩ of ⟨auctōr⟩ and ⟨uxōr⟩ did not take part in it.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ Cognate with [[sa|कर्हि|tr=kárhi|t=when?]], [[got|𐍈𐌰𐍂|tr=ƕar|t=where]], [[non|hvar|t=where]] and [[ang|hwǣr|t=where]]; from the stem ⟨*kʷu-⟩ come [[sq|kur|t=when]] and [[lt|kur̃|t=where]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) The grammarian Velius Longus explained it as a contraction of [[quārē]], which Lewis and Short follow.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Naevius on:^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) ''cūr rē inquaesītā colligor?'' “why am I seized when the matter has not been looked into?”^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Cūr'' asks “why? for what reason or purpose?”, in direct and indirect questions.^(OLD 2012)^(Stelten 1995) As a relative it means “on account of which”, especially in ''causa cūr'' and ''quid est cūr …?'' “what reason is there that …?”.^(OLD 2012) Quintilian seems to use it for “because”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – First found in Naevius.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''cūr mē retentās?'' “why do you hold me back?”^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it in an indirect question.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 35–95 AD – Quintilian uses it apparently for “because”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|why]]? for what reason or purpose?^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(in indirect questions)'' Why.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(relative)'' On account of which;^(OLD 2012) ''quid est cūr …?'', what reason is there that …?^(OLD 2012)

+ # Because.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quis]]

+ * [[quārē]]

+ * [[ubi]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Döderlein says that ''cūr'' serves both for real questions and for rhetorical ones, while ''[[quārē]]'' is used only for questions that expect an answer.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}