quantunque

Italian

Etymology

From quanto (“how much”) +‎ -unque (indefinite ending). Formed similarly to, and possibly influenced by, Latin quantuscumque.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwanˈtun.kwe/
• Rhymes: -unkwe
• Hyphenation: quan‧tùn‧que

Conjunction

quantunque

1. (dated with subjunctive) although, even though

   Synonyms: ancorché, benché, malgrado, nonostante, per quanto, sebbene

   • 1840, Alessandro Manzoni, I promessi sposi‎^[1], 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

2. despite how much; however
   • 1827, Giacomo Leopardi, “Storia del genere umano [History of Mankind]”, in Operette morali [Small Moral Works]‎^[2], 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

3. although, but

   Synonyms: ciononostante, comunque, purtuttavia, tuttavia

   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]?

Descendants

• → Ladino: kuantunke

Determiner

quantunque (plural quantunque or (rare) quantunqui) (obsolete)

1. however much
2. (in the plural) however many
   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell], 12th edition (paperback), Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto V, page 72, lines 11–12:

     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

1. (obsolete) anything that, whatever
   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Paradiso [The Divine Comedy: Paradise] (paperback), Le Monnier, published 2002, Canto XXXIII, pages 588–589, lines 19–21:

     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^[3], Florence: Andrea Bettini, published 1858, page 112, lines –:

     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)

1. to a (certain) degree or extent

   Synonym: quanto

   • 1353, Giovanni Boccaccio, “Decima giornata, Novella VIII [Tenth Day, Eighth Story]”, in Decamerone [Decameron]‎^[4], 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

Further reading

• quantunque in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
• quantunque in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication