Where does “quê” come from?

quê (Portuguese) comes from Latin quī, from Latin -cumque, from Latin cumque, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com, from Proto-Italic kom, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

quê (Portuguese): what; a characteristic; cue

Definitions

  1. what; a characteristic; cue

Ancestry of “quê”, step by step

quê traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Latin quī

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinquīwho, that, which, what
2Latin-cumqueUsed to derive indefinite adjectives, adverbs and...
3Latincumquehowever, whenever, howsoever, whensoever
4Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
5Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
6Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
9Middle Englishkyt
10Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
11Old High Germankuti
12Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
13Proto-Germanickweduzresin
14Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
15Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

via Spanish qué

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishquéwhat; which; what a; such; how
2Latinquidneuter nominative/accusative singular of quis;...
3Proto-Italickʷid
4Proto-Indo-Europeankʷídneuter nominative/accusative singular of *kʷís
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷíswho, what; who, which, that; which, what
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷi-interrogative base

via Old Portuguese que

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Portuguesequethat

Words derived from “quê

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet-Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduz