quantunque

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
   • 1840, Alessandro Manzoni, I promessi sposi‎, 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

   • Synonyms: ancorché, benché, malgrado, nonostante, per quanto, sebbene
2. despite how much; however
   • 1827, Giacomo Leopardi, “Storia del genere umano [History of Mankind]”, in Operette morali [Small Moral Works]‎, 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

   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]?

   Synonyms: ciononostante, comunque, purtuttavia, tuttavia

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] (paperback), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto V, lines 11–12, page 72:

     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, lines 19–21, page 588–589:

     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, Florence: Andrea Bettini, published 1858, lines –, page 112:

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

   • Synonym: quanto

References

Further reading

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