quilibet Latin · revision 8879

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=Plautus|origins=la quī, la libet}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quīlibet''' ''m'' (feminine quaelibet, neuter (adj.) quodlibet, neuter (noun) quidlibet)^(Wiktionary)

+ It is also spelled ''quīlubet'', and sometimes written as two words.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[quī]] “who, which” and [[libet]] “it pleases”, “whom it pleases”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler's first source is Plautus, whom he dates c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As a pronoun it meant whoever or whatever you please, anyone at all, and in Cicero, depreciatingly, anyone however unsuitable.^(OLD 2012) As an adjective it meant any you like, any without distinction.^(OLD 2012) Gaffiot cites ''quālibet nāvigāre'' “to sail anywhere”.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ British Medieval Latin used it for whatever, whichever, any.^(DMLBS) Its neuter ''quodlibet'' “what you please” was a question for academic disputation in the medieval universities, and English took [[m|en|quodlibet]] in the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it depreciatingly.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English ''quodlibet'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # Anyone or anything you please, [[m|en|whatever]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Any (at all).^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quī]]

+ * [[libet]]

+ * [[quīvīs]]

+ * [[en|quodlibet]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}