quia

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin quia (“because”).

Adjective

quia (not comparable)

1. (Lutheranism) Relating to the belief that the Book of Concord is authoritative because it faithfully describes the Christian faith as revealed in the Bible.

Coordinate terms

• quatenus

Adverb

quia (not comparable)

1. In a quia manner.

Latin

Alternative forms

• qua (Late Latin, manuscripts and inscriptions)

Etymology

Old neuter plural accusative case of quis, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷih₂. Corresponds both formally and functionally to Megara Ancient Greek σᾰ́ (sá, “what?”), and functionally to ὅτι (hóti); this and other evidence point to the Greek origin of the use of quia as a subordinator, in contrast to quod where there's stronger evidence for a native development.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈkʷi.a/, [ˈkʷiä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈkwi.a/, [ˈkwiːä]

Conjunction

quia

1. because, due to the fact that, for
   • 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Tobiae.1.23:

     Tobias vero cum filio suo et cum uxore fugiens nudus latuit quia multi diligebant eum

     But Tobias fleeing naked away with his son and with his wife, lay concealed, for many loved him.

   • 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Tobiae.3.19:

     et aut ego indigna fui illis aut illi mihi forsitan digni non fuerunt quia forsitan viro alio conservasti me

     And either I was unworthy of them, or they perhaps were not worthy of me: because perhaps thou hast kept me for another man,

   • c. 1135 – 1153, Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermōnēs super Cantica Canticōrum 84.6:

     Nōn timeō, quia amō.

     I am not afraid because I love.

2. (Late Latin, subordinator) (the fact) that
   • 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Lucas.1.58:

     et audierunt vicini et cognati eius quia magnificavit Dominus misericordiam suam cum illa et congratulabantur ei

     Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.

Usage notes

• Usually tells of the determining reason, while quoniam (“since”) introduces any causal circumstance.
• Differs from the general-purpose subordinator quod in being more explicitly causal.

Derived terms

• quianam

Related terms

• cur
• nam

Descendants

All meaning 'because', but with a phonetic shape reflecting a crossing with quam 'how':

• Balkan Romance:
  • Romanian: ca
• Italo-Romance:
  • Neapolitan: ca
  • Sicilian: ca
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Asturian: ca (Alto Ayer)
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: ca
  • Old Spanish: ca

References

• Palmer, L.R. 1906. The Latin language. London: Faber and Faber.
• Väänänen, Veikko. 1981. Introduction au latin vulgaire. Paris: Klincksieck.

Further reading

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

Spanish

Etymology

From ¡qué ha (de ser)!.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkja/ [ˈkja]
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: quia

Interjection

¡quia!

1. (Spain) denotes incredulity

Further reading

• “quia”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28