Where does “quiddity” come from?
quiddity (English) comes from Middle English quidite, from Old French quidité, from Latin quidditas, from Latin quid, from Proto-Italic kʷid, from Proto-Indo-European kʷíd, from Proto-Indo-European kʷís, from Proto-Indo-European kʷi- — interrogative base.
quiddity (English): The essence or inherent nature of a person or...
Definitions
- The essence or inherent nature of a person or...
Ancestry of “quiddity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | quidite | — |
| 2 | Old French | quidité | — |
| 3 | Latin | quidditas | — |
| 4 | Latin | quid | neuter nominative/accusative singular of quis;... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | kʷid | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷíd | neuter nominative/accusative singular of *kʷís |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷís | who, what; who, which, that; which, what |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷi- | interrogative base |
Words derived from “quiddity”