Sunday, October 20, 2019
Q Words
Q Words Q Words Q Words By Mark Nichol Have you ever noticed the similarity in vocalization when you utter words starting with wh- and those beginning with qu-? Go ahead and try it now. Donââ¬â¢t be embarrassed nobodyââ¬â¢s looking. Huh your mouthââ¬â¢s moves are almost identical, right? But thatââ¬â¢s not coincidental, because many English words beginning with wh- are akin to Latin terms beginning with qu-, and, of course, many English words beginning with qu- are directly descended from the language of ancient Rome. And others of our wh- words and qu- words have some conceptual kinship, too. Letââ¬â¢s look first at the journalistââ¬â¢s keywords: Who is from the Latin word qui. What, when, where, why, and how, though not derived from Latin (theyââ¬â¢re all from Old English), are cognates words related to another by common descent from an ancient language of who, which is. In addition, quite a few words starting with qu- refer directly or indirectly to the concepts behind these basic interrogatives. Note in the etymologies listed after each term and before the definitions below how often the wh- words show up or are implied: Quality (qualis, ââ¬Å"of what kindâ⬠): character, air, or nature (ââ¬Å"He had a bookish quality to himâ⬠), property (ââ¬Å"The painting has an ephemeral qualityâ⬠), role (ââ¬Å"She adopted the quality of a mentorâ⬠), grade (ââ¬Å"The relative quality of the two brands is indistinguishableâ⬠) Quantity (quantus, ââ¬Å"how muchâ⬠or ââ¬Å"how largeâ⬠): amount or number (ââ¬Å"The quantity of items in the box is listed on the backâ⬠) Quandary (unknown; perhaps informally derived from quando, ââ¬Å"whenâ⬠): state of doubt or perplexity (ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m in a quandary about thatâ⬠) Quantum (quantus, ââ¬Å"how muchâ⬠): quantity, portion, or bulk, or a subdivision of energy or matter; usually used in the expression ââ¬Å"a quantum leap,â⬠which technically refers to a submicroscopic event but in popular usage denotes a significant increase or progress Question (quaerere, ââ¬Å"to seek, askâ⬠): an expression of inquiry, or something discussed or disputed; also, possibility ââ¬Å"(ââ¬Å"Thereââ¬â¢s no question of repairing itâ⬠) or objection (ââ¬Å"I have no question about his qualificationsâ⬠) Quiddity (quid, ââ¬Å"whatâ⬠): essence (ââ¬Å"The sculpture portrays the quiddity of the subjectââ¬â¢s frailtyâ⬠), or eccentricity or quibble (ââ¬Å"Despite her quiddities, I like herâ⬠) Quondam (quondam, ââ¬Å"at one timeâ⬠): erstwhile, former (ââ¬Å"I heard from my quondam friend Joe the other dayâ⬠) Quota (quota pars, ââ¬Å"how great a partâ⬠): a proportional share or limit (ââ¬Å"They met their quotaâ⬠) Quotidian (quotidie, ââ¬Å"every day,â⬠from quot, ââ¬Å"many, how manyâ⬠and dies, ââ¬Å"dayâ⬠): commonplace, everyday (ââ¬Å"Its quotidian lack of flair bored meâ⬠) Quotation (or Quote) (quot, ââ¬Å"how manyâ⬠): something repeated or referred to, or the process of doing so, but originally referred to numbering (ââ¬Å"Read the quotation from the bookâ⬠) Also, note quo (ââ¬Å"in whichâ⬠), which occurs in the ubiquitous ââ¬Å"status quoâ⬠(ââ¬Å"the state in whichâ⬠), the less common ââ¬Å"quid pro quoâ⬠(this for that), and ââ¬Å"quo vadisâ⬠(ââ¬Å"where are you going?â⬠), based on a verse in the Bible and popularized by a novel by that name and its screen adaptations but seldom used by writers and speakers of English. See the connections in the following words? Quiet is derived from quies, meaning ââ¬Å"rest or silence,â⬠as is while, which can also refer to a duration of time a quantity. Quit (from quietus, meaning ââ¬Å"freeâ⬠or ââ¬Å"calmâ⬠) implies the end of a quantity of time or action, while quite, in the senses of ââ¬Å"veryâ⬠and ââ¬Å"thoroughlyâ⬠degrees of quantity has the same etymological origin. And quiz may have a direct link: Itââ¬â¢s probably derived from qui es, which means ââ¬Å"who are you?â⬠Not all words beginning with qu- share these origins, of course. Quack and quail are onomatopoeic. Quaint, though stemming from Latin, is not derived from a qu- word. Queer is Germanic (quirk may be related), as are quench and quick, both from Old English. But one thing most qu- words share is some quality, quiddity, or quirk that makes them quite useful to writers. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with ââ¬Å"Withâ⬠The Four Sounds of the Spelling OUThe Difference Between "Un-" and "Dis-"
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