chiunque Italian · revision 37940

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=before 1294, Brunetto Latini|origins=la quī, la umquam}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /kiˈun.kwe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''chiunque''' (pronoun, invariable, singular only)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ Older forms include [[roa-oit|chiunche]], [[roa-oit|chiunca]], [[roa-oit|chiunqua]] and [[roa-oit|cheunque]].^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GDLI)^(DEI|912)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound [[af|it|chi|-unque|t1=who|t2=-ever]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) DELI and most dictionaries trace it to [[la|quī|t=who]] and [[m|la|umquam|t=ever, at any time]].^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(DEI|912) Nocentini sees a Romance formation in which the second element blends [[m|la|umquam]] with [[m|la|-cumque]], the ending of Latin indefinite pronouns;^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Sabatini adds that the final ⟨-e⟩ was remade on the Latin forms in that ending.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Prati, after Meyer-Lübke and Bartoli, reconstructs a popular form [[la-vul|*quiunquam]] beside classical [[la|quīcumque|t=whoever]], and Wiktionary compares [[fr|quiconque]].^(Prati 1951|281)^(Wiktionary)

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+ The Latin pronoun goes back to [[itc-pro|*kʷoi]] and [[ine-pro|*kʷos]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Zingarelli dates the word to before 1250, and DELI to Brunetto Latini, before 1294, with the sense “any person”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) In Dante's ''Purgatorio'' Manfred begins: “Chiunque / tu se', così andando volgi il viso” (whoever you are, turn your face as you go).^(GDLI|3, 97)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian several variants were in use (''chiunche'', ''chiunca'', ''chiunqua''), and Pietro Bembo set ''chiunque'', for persons, against ''cheunque'', for things.^(DEI|912)^(GDLI|3, 97) It could take a preposition, as in Boccaccio's description of the plague: “A chiunque usciva il sangue dal naso” (anyone whose nose bled).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861|1, 1407)

+

+ It has no plural and serves for both genders; a verb after it is usually in the subjunctive.^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) It works both as an indefinite pronoun, “anyone”, and as a relative pronoun, “whoever”, which links a main clause to a dependent one.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – ''Chiunque'' is first recorded.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for “any person”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – The variants ''chiunche'', ''chiunca'' and ''chiunqua'' are in use.^(DEI|912)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # ''(indefinite)'' [[m|en|anyone]], anybody: ''Questo esercizio lo sa risolvere chiunque.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''chiunque altro'': anyone else: ''Chiunque altro si sarebbe offeso.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(relative)'' [[m|en|whoever]], any person who: ''Chiunque arrivi per ultimo chiude la porta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[chi]]

+ * [[qualunque]]

+ * [[dovunque]]

+ * [[comunque]]

+ * [[la|quicumque]]

+ * [[fr|quiconque]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ With the verb ''essere'' and a plural pronoun it can agree in the plural.^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Followed by ''di'', it picks one out of a group: ''chiunque di voi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}