quantum Latin · revision 17936

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *kʷos}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quantum''' ''n sg'' (indeclinable, no genitive)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the neuter of [[quantus]] “how great, as great”, used as a pronoun and an adverb.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) De Vaan lists ⟨quantus⟩ among the derivatives of [[quam]], from the relative stem [[m|la|quī]], which goes back to [[ine-pro|*kʷos]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus asks ''quantī eam ēmit?'' – ''vīlī'', “how much did he pay for her?” – “a low price”.^(OLD 2012) Köbler cites it from Ennius.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As a pronoun ''quantum'' asks “how much?” (''quantī?'' “at what price?”), exclaims “how much!”, and relates “as much as” (''tantum … quantum'', “as much … as”).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) As an adverb it means “how much, how far” and “as far as, in so far as”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “as much as, so much as, how much”.^(Stelten 1995) Wiktionary lists the legal phrases ''quantum meruit'' and ''quantum satis''.^(Wiktionary) English [[m|en|quantum]] “sum, amount” dates from the 1610s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''quantī eam ēmit?''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence: ''quantī?'' – ''vīgintī minīs'', “how much?” – “twenty minae”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''vōs quantum … dēbētis?'', “how much do you owe?”^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1610s – English [[m|en|quantum]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # How much?;^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) ''quantī?'', at what price?^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

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

+ # As much as;^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995) ''tantum … quantum'', as much … as.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # How much, how far, to what extent.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # As far as, in so far as.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quantus]]

+ * [[tantum]]

+ * [[quam]]

+ * [[en|quantum]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}