quid ais

Latin

Etymology

From quid (“what”) + aī̆s (“you say”), the 2nd person sg. of aiō (“I say”).

Pronunciation
  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈkʷi.da.iːs/, [ˈkʷɪd̪äiːs̠] or IPA(key): /ˈkʷi.da.is/, [ˈkʷɪd̪äɪs̠] (stressed as a word-group)[1]
  • (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /kwid ˈa.is/, [kwid̪ ˈäːis]
  • Note: the -i- of the ending was phonemically long for Plautus, subject to iambic shortening.

Phrase

quid aī̆s

  1. (colloquial, indicating surprise at, or requesting confirmation of, the previous remark; to express skepticism) eh?, what?, what did you say?, what are you saying?, you don't say!
    • c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitryon I.1.363:
      MERCVRIVS: Quis erus est igitur tibī?
      SOSIA: Amphitruō, quī nunc praefectust Thēbānīs legiōnibus, quīcum nūpta est Alcumēna.
      MERCVRIVS: Quid aīs?! Quid nōmen tibī est?
      SOSIA: Sōsiam vocant Thēbānī […]
      MERCVRIVS: Tūn' tē audēs Sōsiam esse dīcere, quī ego sum?
      MERCURY: Who's your master then?
      SOSIA: Amphitryon, who is now in command of the Theban forces, to whom Alcmena is married.
      MERCURY: You what?! What's your name?
      SOSIA: The Thebans call me Sosia […]
      MERCURY: You dare say that you're Sosia, which is me?
  2. (colloquial, followed by a question, attracting the addressee's attention) tell me, what do you say?
    • c. 254 BCE – 184 BCE, Plautus, Trinumus :
      CHARMIDES: (After talking to himself) Sed quid aīs, quō inde īstī porrō?
      But tell me, where did you go next?
    • 161 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Eunuchus 3.2:
      THAIS: Ita mē dī ament honestust.
      PARMENO: Quid tū aīs, Gnathō? Numquid habēs quod contemnās? Quid tū autem, Thrasō? Tacent: satis laudant. Fac perīclum in līterīs, fac in palaestrā, in mūsicīs: quae līberum scīre aequom est adolēscentem sollertem dabō.
      THAIS: God bless me he's handsome.
      PARMENO: What do you say, Gnatho? Do you see anything to find fault with? And what say you, Thraso? They're speechless, which is praise enough. Test him on literature, athletics, music; I'll warrant him well skilled in everything a gentleman should know.

See also

References
  1. Radford, Robert S. (1903) “The Latin Monosyllables in Their Relation to Accent and Quantity. A Study in the Verse of Terence”, in Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association‎, volume 34, →DOI, page 60
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