quantunque
Italian
Etymology
Either from Latin quantuscumque (“however much”), or from a contraction of the locution quantum umquam (literally “how much ever”).[1]
Surface analysis: quant(o) (“how much”) + -unque (indefinite suffix).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kwanˈtun.kwe/, [kwän̪ˈt̪uŋkwe]
- Hyphenation: quan‧tùn‧que
Conjunction
quantunque
- (dated, + subjunctive) although, even though
- 1840, Alessandro Manzoni, I promessi sposi, Tip. Guglielmini e Redaelli, Chapter XXV, page 476:
- quantunque gli piacesse molto d’andar per le bocche degli uomini, n’avrebbe, in quella congiuntura, fatto volentieri di meno
- although generally desirous to be talked of, [he] would willingly have been forgotten on this occasion
- Synonyms: ancorché, benché, malgrado, nonostante, per quanto, sebbene
-
- despite how much; however
- 1827, Giacomo Leopardi, “Storia del genere umano [History of Mankind]”, in Operette morali [Small Moral Works], Florence: Guglielmo Piatti, published 1834, page 21:
- E non sarà dato alla Verità, quantunque potentissima, […] nè sterminarlo mai dalla terra, nè vincerlo
- And the Truth, however very powerful, will not be able to eradicate it from the earth, nor win against it
-
- although, but
- Puoi non andarci, se credi: quantunque, chi te lo impedisce? ― If you think so, you can just not go: although who's preventing you [from doing it]?
- Synonyms: ciononostante, comunque, purtuttavia, tuttavia
Adjective
quantunque (invariable, rare masculine plural quantunqui) (obsolete)
- however much
- (in the plural) however many
- 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell] (paperback), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto V, lines 11–12, page 72:
- cignesi con la coda tante volte ¶ quantunque gradi vuol che giù sia messa.
- Girds himself with his tail as many times ¶ as grades he wishes it should be thrust down.
-
Pronoun
quantunque
- (obsolete) anything that, whatever
- 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Paradiso [The Divine Comedy: Paradise] (paperback), Le Monnier, published 2002, Canto XXXIII, lines 19–21, page 588–589:
- In te misericordia, in te pietate, ¶ in te magnificenza, in te s'aduna ¶ quantunque in creatura è di bontate.
- In thee compassion is, in thee is pity, ¶ in thee magnificence; in thee unites ¶ whate'er of goodness is in any creature.
- 1374, Francesco Petrarca, “Chi vuol veder quantunque può Natura [Who wishes to see what Nature can achieve]”, in Il Canzoniere, Florence: Andrea Bettini, published 1858, lines –, page 112:
- Chi vuol veder quantunque può Natura ¶ e 'l Ciel tra noi, venga a mirar costei
- Who wishes to see what Nature can achieve ¶ among us, and Heaven, come and gaze at her,
-
Adverb
quantunque (obsolete, literary)
- to a (certain) degree or extent
- 1353, Giovanni Boccaccio, “Decima giornata, Novella VIII [Tenth Day, Eighth Story]”, in Decamerone [Decameron], Tommaso Hedlin, published 1527, page 263:
- ad imprender philoſophia il mandò ad Athene, & quantunque più potè, il raccomandò ad un nobile huomo
- he sent him to Athens to study philosophy, and to the best of his power commended him to a nobleman
- Synonym: quanto
-
References
- Angelo Prati, "Vocabolario Etimologico Italiano", Torino, 1951
- quantunque in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
- quantunque in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti
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