ca

ca¹ as, like, than

Etymology tree of ca¹

inherited borrowed derived

Latin quam

Romanian ca

Romanian cam

From the same root · ca¹

Italian quasi ← quam

Latin antequam ← quam

Latin nēquam ← quam

Latin perquam ← quam

Latin posteāquam ← quam

Latin postquam ← quam

Latin praeterquam ← quam

Latin priusquam ← quam

Latin quamdiū ← quam

Latin quamlibet ← quam

Latin quamprīmum ← quam

Latin quamquam ← quam

Latin quamvīs ← quam

Latin quandō ← quam

Latin quasi ← quam

Latin tamquam ← quam

Pronunciation

• /ka/^[1]

Etymology

The word for “as, like” is inherited from Latin quam (“how, as, than”).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} It survives in all four branches as Aromanian ca, Megleno-Romanian ca and Istro-Romanian ca,^[2][3] and in Old Italian, Sardinian, Old Spanish and Old Portuguese ⟨ca⟩;^[3] Spanish cuan and Portuguese quão are cognates too.^[2]

Ciorănescu identifies it with cam “about”: ⟨ca⟩ once had that sense too, and the two forms separated only fairly recently.^[2] The compounds ⟨ca și⟩, ⟨ca și cum⟩ and ⟨ca și când⟩ seem to be Romanian formations, but Philippide and Pascu derive ⟨ca și⟩ from Latin quasi (“as if”).^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR dates the word to about 1500, and it is frequent in the Hurmuzaki Psalter of the early 16th century.^[3][7] Tiktin's first record is Neacșu's letter of 1521.^[8] The first sense is the comparison “as, like”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Besides comparison, the old language used it as a conjunction of manner, time and condition, “how, when, if”, and as “about”.^[3][9] The sense “about, approximately” passed to cam, and ca keeps it only in phrases like ca la cinci metri.^[2][10] As a preposition it governs the accusative, ca mine.^[2]

In Muntenia, often after ci, it is used with an imperative to urge someone on, ca dă-te mai încoace;^[11][4] DELR takes this as a separate word of uncertain origin, probably the same ca “about”.^[11][4]

Timeline

• c. 1500 – first recorded.^[3]
• early 16th century – frequent in the Hurmuzaki Psalter.^[7]
• 1521 – in Neacșu's letter.^[8]
• c. 1563–1583 – in the Codicele Voronețean, MDA2's first record.^[10]
• 1885 – the Muntenian ca used to urge someone on.^[11]

Meanings

Adverb

1. In the same way as: Îi vorbesc lui ca și ei.^[4]
2. about, approximately: ca la zece oameni.^[4][10]
3. As regards: Ca preț, mașina e bună.^[4]
4. Such as, for example (before a list).^[4][10]

Preposition

1. like, as: Doarme ca un copil.^[4][2]
2. than: E mai înalt ca mine.^[4][1]
3. (with the same noun repeated) As is usual for: Copiii, ca copiii, fac gălăgie.^[4][2]
4. As, in the capacity of: A lucrat ca ospătar.^[4][2]

Interjection

1. (regional) Come on!, well! (urging someone).^[4][11]

ca² (so) that

Etymology tree of ca²

inherited borrowed derived

Latin quia

Italian che

Romanian ca

From the same root · ca²

Italian finché ← che

Italian perché ← che

Italian qualche ← che

Pronunciation

• /ka/^[1]

Etymology

The word for “(so) that” is inherited from Latin quia (“because”) according to Ciorănescu, Pușcariu, the DA, MDA2 and DEX.^{[2][5][12][10][4][1]} Latin ⟨quia⟩ also gave Old Italian, southern Italian, Old Spanish and Old Portuguese ⟨ca⟩, and Italian che;^[2] Ciorănescu notes that the REW does not list the Romanian, Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian forms.^[2]

DELR rejects this: the quia hypothesis does not explain why the conjunction occurs only with the subjunctive.^[13] With Tiktin and the REW it takes the word as ca¹ from quam, its sense of purpose grown out of “how, as”, as with ut, Ancient Greek ὡς (hōs) and Old Romanian ⟨cum să⟩, which meant ⟨ca să⟩.^[13] The conjunction exists in Aromanian, Megleno- and Istro-Romanian too.^[13]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR dates the conjunction to about 1500.^[13] MDA2's first record is the Cuvente den bătrâni collection, before 1577.^[10] In the oldest texts final clauses were introduced by cum să rather than ca să.^[12]

Semantic evolution

The old sense “because, since” was lost in the 17th century, and the word survives only before să, introducing the subjunctive of purpose or result: plec, ca să nu-l mai aud.^[2] It is needed when words come between the main verb and the subjunctive, vreau ca fratele meu să vină.^[2] From such sentences ca să has spread where să alone would do.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1500 – first recorded.^[13]
• before 1577 – in the Cuvente den bătrâni collection.^[10]
• 17th century – the sense “because” falls out of use.^[2]

Meanings

Conjunction

1. (obsolete) because, since.^[2][1]
2. (followed by să) In order that, so that: A venit ca să ne ajute.^[4][2][1]
3. (followed by să after other words) that, introducing a subjunctive clause: Vreau ca toți să fie de față.^[4][10]