Friday, August 22, 2025

20.11.25: Level 3; indefinites [4] ali- [i]

The prefix ali- creates indefinite pronouns, adjectives or adverbs from interrogatives:

[i] quis │ who > aliquis (or aliquī), aliqua, aliquid (aliquod): someone / anyone; something / anything

  • aliquā  (adverb): somehow; in some manner
  • aliquō (adverb): to somewhere

[ii] quandō│when > aliquandō: sometime(s); at sometime; now and then

[iii] quot│ how much / many > aliquot: a few; some; several

[iv] quotiē(n)s │ how many times > aliquotiē(n)s: several times

[v] quantus, -a, -um │ how much / many / great

  • aliquantus, -a, -um: somewhat; considerable (amount)
  • aliquantum (adverb): to some extent
  • aliquantō (adverb): somewhat; a little; with the comparative: aliquantō longior │ a little longer

[vi] ubi│ where > alicubi: somewhere

[vii] unde│ from where > alicunde: from somewhere; from any place

[viii] quālis, -e│ what kind > (Mediaeval) aliquālis, -e: of some / any kind > (Mediaeval) aliquāliter: in some / any way; to some extent

ali- is possibly a truncated form of alius (other):

ibi: there > alibī (alius + ibi): somewhere else (the word you need, of course, if charged with murder; you need to have been somewhere else i.e. you need an alibi)

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