inquam Latin · revision 18182

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *sekʷ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈɪŋ.kʷãː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈiŋ.kʷam]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''inquam''' (perfect active inquiī); irregular conjugation, highly defective, no infinitive, no gerund^(Wiktionary)

+ It is defective: the present ''inquam, inquis, inquit, inquimus, inquiunt'', the imperfect ''inquiēbat'', a future and a few other forms are found.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ A first person ''inquiō'' occurs in late writers.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ According to de Vaan it is [[inh|itc-pro|*en-skʷ-]], built on an aorist stem [[ine-pro|*skʷ-e/o-]] of [[m|ine-pro|*sekʷ-|t=to follow]], and belongs with the old imperative [[m|la|īnsece|t=tell!]]; the meaning would have passed from “follow” to “repeat, relate”.^(de Vaan 2008) ⟨inquam⟩ would continue ⟨*en-skʷ-ā-⟩, originally a subjunctive “I will say”, and ⟨inquit⟩ an aorist ⟨*en-skʷ-e-t⟩; the loss of the ⟨*s⟩ is hard to explain but has to be accepted.^(de Vaan 2008) The OLD also takes the form to be subjunctive in origin.^(OLD 2012) Wiktionary calls the origin not entirely clear.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[sga|insce|t=speech]], [[grc|ἐννέπω|tr=ennépō|t=to tell]], dialectal [[m|lt|sèkti|t=to tell]] and [[non|segja|t=to say]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates ''inquam'' from Plautus and the imperative ''īnsece'' from Livius Andronicus.^(de Vaan 2008) Plautus has ''‘hīcine Achillēs est?’ inquit mihi'', “‘is this Achilles?’ he says to me”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Inquam'' introduces or interrupts direct speech, “to say”, and is usually placed inside or after the quotation.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) It presents an objection, real or imagined (Cicero: ''at nōn, inquiet adversārius'', “‘but no’, my opponent will say”), and quotes a law or a book (''inquit lēx'', “says the law”).^(OLD 2012) In the first person it is used in parenthesis to stress a word, to resume after a digression, or to explain a phrase: “I say”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it as the defective verb “I say”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus has the imperative ''īnsece''.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''‘hīcine Achillēs est?’ inquit mihi''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''at nōn, inquiet adversārius''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|say]] (with direct speech, usually inside or after the quotation).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # To say (presenting an objection).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To say (of a law, book or document).^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''inquam'' (in parenthesis): I say;^(OLD 2012) I repeat;^(OLD 2012) I mean.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[īnsece]]

+ * [[sequor]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}