qua
/kwɑː/
preposition
Origin
Latin
qua — in which way; how
Overview
Meaning Now
- In the capacity of; in the character or role of.
Literal older meaning
in which; as
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
qua
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The word entered English as a direct loan from the Latin ablative of the relative pronoun 'quī' (who/which). It was primarily used in scholarly, theological, and legal discourse to precisely define the capacity in which a subject is being discussed, distinct from their other identities.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
kʷo-
“interrogative/relative pronominal stem”
- Latin
quā
“in which way; where”
Ablative feminine singular of quī.
- English, 17th century
qua
“as; in the character of”
Adopted into scholarly English directly from Latin usage.
Connections
Word parts
qua
root
in which
Related across languages
Italian
here
Spanish
cual
which
Explore next
Related to qua
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.