Sunday, February 13, 2011

Verbum Hodiernum: QUE



Today's word is actually not a word but rather an enclitic conjunction: QUE.

Latin meaning and usage: This enclitic conjunction joins two or more words, phrases, or clauses, and is attached to the second item in the series. For example: Mente manuque, with "mind and hand," in other words, by means of brain and brawn.

When the conjunction is used to connected multiword phrases or clauses, it goes on the first word of the second item in the series, along with any additional items. Here is a two-item series: Sum felix felixque manebo, "I am happy and happy I will remain." Here is a three-item series: Servare modum, finemque tenere, naturamque sequi, "To stay with limits, (and) to focus on the finish, and to follow nature." The only exception to this rule is when the first word of the phrase or clause is a monosyllabic preposition (although this is not a hard-and-fast rule; you will find exceptions, as for example: Contra legem proque lege).

It is also possible to put -que on both items, just as you can use "et...et..." in Latin. For example: Noctesque diesque, "Both night and day" (literally, "both nights and days").

Latin word formation: You can find many words in Latin which are formed with this particle, such as atque, denique, utique, etc.

English cognates and derivatives: As far as I know, there are no English cognates or derivates from this word,

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs; for more information, see the page at the Scala Sapientiae, which also contains notes on some of the proverbs cited below, as well as additional proverbs:

Post mortem nihil est, ipsaque mors nihil.

Accipe quod tuum alterique da suum.

Video alta sequorque.

Maioresque cadunt altis de montibus umbrae.

Tempora sic fugiunt pariter, pariterque sequuntur et nova sunt semper.

Idem egoque tuque ducimus pariter iugum.

Pace belloque fidelis.

Inter sacrum saxumque sto.

Pugnare cum diis cumque Fortuna grave est.

Meliora spero sequorque.

Rarum est felix idemque senex.

Audentes saepe sorsque Venusque iuvant.

Praesentis absentisque amici sis memor.

Senatus Populusque Romanus

Furemque fur cognoscit, et lupum lupus.

Alitur vitium vivitque tegendo.

Dum fata deusque sinebat.

Maiorque videtur et melior vicina seges.

Redeunt iam gramina campis, arboribusque comae.

Audentes forsque deusque iuvat.





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