inquam

Latin

Etymology

From Old Latin īnseque, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁enskʷet, *h₁en-prefixed form of the thematic aorist of Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to say”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈin.kʷam/, [ˈɪŋkʷä̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈin.kwam/, [ˈiŋkwäm]

Verb

inquam (perfect active inquiī); irregular conjugation, irregular, highly defective

1. to say

   Synonyms: aio, for, dīcō, loquor, alloquor, effor, oro

   • c. 200 BCE – 190 BCE, Plautus, Captivi 3.4.572–573:

     Tun' te Philocratem esse ais? — Ego, inquam.

     So, you claim to be Philocrates, you say? — I certainly say that.

   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 7.20:

     "Haec ut intellegatis," inquit, "a me sincere pronuntiari, audite Romanos milites"

     "In order that you may be assured," he said, "that I sincerely announce these things, listen to the Roman soldiers!"

Usage notes

• Used to introduce a quotation, platitude, or logical argument.

Conjugation

This verb is largely conjugated as if it were *inquiō (3rd conjugation) in present tenses and *inquō (also 3rd conjugation) in perfect tenses except 1st person singular. However, there is an unusual first person singular present form inquam (cf. the athematic verb sum). This form was possibly derived from *h₁enskʷom, the 1st person singular indicative form of Proto-Indo-European *h₁enskʷet (an aorist verb).

Conjugation of inquam (irregular, highly defective)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	inquam	inquis	inquit	inquimus	inquitis	inquiunt
	imperfect	—	—	inquiēbat	—	—	—
	future	—	inquiēs	inquiet	—	—	—
	perfect	inquiī	inquistī	inquit	—	—	—
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	—	inquiat	—	—	—
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	inque	—	—	—	—
	future	—	inquitō	inquitō	—	—	—
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		—	—	—	—	—	—
participles		inquiēns	—	—	—	—	—

Descendants

• Sicilian: nca (interjection)

References

• “inquam”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “inquam”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• inquam in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.