-que

Latin

Alternative forms

• -qꝫ, -q́ꝫ, -q. (Medieval Latin), -q́ue

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *-kʷe (“and”), from Proto-Indo-European *-kʷe (“and”). Cognates include Sanskrit च (ca), Ancient Greek τε (te), Proto-Germanic *-hw ( → English (thou)gh). Its alternative use as a generalizing particle "any, -every" with pronouns and adverbs may result from a shift from an earlier meaning along the lines of "as". There are also a number of words that are etymologically suffixed with this particle but that have developed specific meanings not clearly analyzable in terms of either of these senses, such as dēnique (“finally; at length”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /kʷe/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /kwe/,

Conjunction

-que (enclitic)

1. and, coordinating conjunction
   • 6th or 5th century BCE, Castor-Pollux dedication (image (page 3; requires access to JSTOR); facsimile):

     𐌂𐌀𐌔𐌕𐌏𐌓𐌄𐌉:𐌐𐌏𐌃𐌋𐌏𐌖𐌒𐌖𐌄𐌉𐌒𐌖𐌄/𐌒𐌖𐌓𐌏𐌉𐌔

     CASTOREI PODLOVQVEIQVE/QVROIS
     Castorei Podlouqueique qurois

     To Castor and Pollux, the Dioskouroi

   • 63 BCE, Cicero, Catiline Orations Oratio in Catilinam Prima in Senatu Habita.VIII:

     Nihil agis, nihil moliris, nihil cogitas quod non ego non modo audiam sed etiam videam planeque sentiam.

     There is nothing you do, nothing you plot, nothing you think about, that I do not only hear of, but actually see as well and distinctly discern.

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid I.1:

     Arma virumque cano.

     I sing of arms and the man...

   Senatus Populusque Romanus.

   The Senate and the People of Rome

   (literally, “The Roman Senate and People”)

2. (when repeated) "both... and", "whether... or"
   • 29 bc. Vergil. Georgics, III

     ...hominvmqve ferarvmqve...

     ...both of man and of beast...

3. introducing an explanatory clause
   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita 1.2:

     Fretusque his animis.

     And so trusting to the pride of them.

   • c. 117 CE, Tacitus, Annales 6.1:

     tuncque primum ignota antea vocabula reperta sunt sellariorum et spintriarum ex foeditate loci

     • 1598 translation by Richard Greenway

       Then first of all were those vnknowen words of Sellaries and Spintries found out of the filthines of the place.

4. (rare) used in an answer
   • c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitryon II.ii:

     Ain heri nos advenisse huc? — Aio, adveniensque ilico me salutasti.

     Do you say that we arrived here yesterday? — I do say so, and on your arrival (lit. and arriving) you instantly greeted me.

Usage notes

• Per late Latin grammarians, this enclitic (along with -ne and -ve) regularly triggers an accent on the immediately preceding syllable, regardless of its shape (this does not apply however to the fixed expression itaque (“therefore”)). When the preceding syllable ends in a consonant or long vowel, as in "Mūsámque" or "Mūsā́que", this accentuation is consistent with the general Latin stress rule (assuming -que is counted as part of the phonological word), and most modern scholars accept these accentuations as as valid for the classical period. However, modern scholars disagree about whether accentuations like "Mūsáque" and "līmináque", which violate the general Latin stress rule by putting stress on a light penultimate syllable, were used in Classical Latin. There is also some debate about how forms ending in -que were accented in early Latin, e.g. the comedies of Plautus.
• -que is always attached to the end of a word. When used to coordinate two words, it is normally attached to the second. When used to coordinate two phrases or clauses, it is normally attached to the first word of the second phrase/clause. In some circumstances, it is attached instead to the second word of the second phrase: this occurs often when the second phrase starts with a monosyllabic preposition, sometimes when it starts with a disyllabic preposition or the adverb tam or quam.
• In archaic and official language, -que is preferred to et, from which it is distinguished by denoting a closer connection.
• It is used singly to link words with related meanings.

  Some examples:

  Fames sitisque. (hunger and thirst)

  Augeri amplificarique. (to be increased and to be enlarged)

  Admirabilis incredibilisque. (admirable and incredible)

  Fuga pavorque. (fleeing and fear)

  Cibus victusque. (sustenance and living)

  Concilium coetusque. (a public gathering and a meeting)

  Blandimenta voluptatis otiique. (delights of pleasure and leisure)

  Extremum summumque supplicium. (the furthest and greatest punishment)

  Imperio auspicioque. (with command and divination)

  Carus acceptusque. ( dear and pleasing)

  Jus fasque. (law and divine will)

  It is especially used in phrases like:

  Longe longeque. (far off and distant)

  Longe multumque. (distant and much)

  Saepe diuque. (often and for a long time)

  With the comparative:

  Plus plusque. (more and more)

  Magis magisque. (to a greater extent and more)

  Minus minusque. (less and less)

  When used with personal and possessive pronouns:

  Me meosque. (me and mine)

  Se suaque. (themselves and their possession)

  Ipse meique. (himself and mine)

  Also used in archaic formulae:

  Potes pollesque. (you are able and you are strong)

  Vivunt vigentque. (they live and they flourish)

• Also words of contrasting meaning:

  Jus nefasque. (law and sin)

  Longe lateque. (distant and widely)

  Cominus eminusque. (in close combat and beyond swords reach)

  Ultro citroque. (there and here) literally "beyond and to this side"

  Terrā marique. (from earth and sea)

  Ferro ignique. (with iron and fire)

  Pace belloque. (with peace and war)

  Tempus locusque. (time and place)

  Parvis magnisque. (with small and large)

Derived terms

• atque
• a lacte cunisque
• filioque
• itaque
• namque
• neque
• SPQR

See also

• -ne
• -ve
• -ce

Particle

-que

1. -ever; every-, any-; every, each ('universalizing' or 'generalizing' particle found in a fixed set of indefinite pronouns and adverbs)

   ‎quis (“who”) + ‎-que (“-ever”) → ‎quisque (“whoever; anyone; each one”)

   ‎cum (“when”) + ‎-que (“-ever”) → ‎cumque (“whenever; however”)

   ‎ubī (“where”) + ‎-que (“-ever”) → ‎ubīque (“wherever, anywhere, everywhere”)

Derived terms

• cumque, -cumque
• quoque (alternatively derived from the conjunction)
• quisque
• ubique
• undique
• uterque
• utique

See also

References