quidam

English

Etymology

From Latin quīdam.

Noun

quidam (plural quidams)

  1. A nobody; a person of no importance. [from 16th c.]
    • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, III.12:
      A quidam gallant determined upon a time to surprise both my house and my selfe.

French

Noun

quidam m (plural quidams)

  1. Used to designate persons whose name are unknown or not mentioned.
  2. Person whose identity is not indicated, in a conversation, a writing.
  3. Individual.

Latin

Etymology

From Latin quī (pronoun) + -dam (demonstrative ending).

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈkʷiː.dam/, [ˈkᶣiː.dã]

Pronoun

quīdam m (feminine quaedam, neuter quiddam)

  1. someone, a certain one/thing; something

Usage notes

Do not confuse with quidem.

Declension

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
nominative quīdam quaedam quiddam quīdam quaedam
genitive cuiusdam
cujusdam		 quōrundam quārundam quōrundam
dative cuidam quibusdam
accusative quendam quandam quiddam quōsdam quāsdam quaedam
ablative quōdam quādam quōdam quibusdam

Adjective

quīdam m (feminine quaedam, neuter quoddam)

  1. Certain (person or thing), some (person or thing), one [in the sense of "a specific"] (person or thing not previously introduced in the present discourse).

Declension

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
nominative quīdam quaedam quoddam quīdam quaedam
genitive cuiusdam
cujusdam		 quōrundam quārundam quōrundam
dative cuidam quibusdam
accusative quendam quandam quoddam quōsdam quāsdam quaedam
ablative quōdam quādam quōdam quibusdam

See also

References

  • quidam in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • quidam in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • quidam in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
  • quidam in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
  • Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
    • I have a few words to say on this: mihi quaedam dicenda sunt de hac re
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