quondam (English)
Where does "quondam" come from?
The English word 'quondam' is a direct borrowing from the Latin 'quondam,' which literally meant 'at one time' or 'formerly.' Its Latin roots are formed by combining 'quom' (the older form of 'when') with a demonstrative ending. Today, it survives in English as a formal way to describe a previous role or state of being.
Full etymology tree
- quondam (English), 'Former; once; at one time.'
- borrowed quondam (Latin), 'at a certain time, at one time, once, heretofore, formerly'
- compound quom (Latin), 'alternative form of cum'
- inherited cum (Latin), 'with, along with'
- inherited *kom (Proto-Italic), 'with, along, at'
- inherited *ḱóm (Proto-Indo-European), 'beside, near, by, with'
- inherited *kom (Proto-Italic), 'with, along, at'
- inherited cum (Latin), 'with, along with'
- compound -dam (Latin)
- compound quom (Latin), 'alternative form of cum'
- borrowed quondam (Latin), 'at a certain time, at one time, once, heretofore, formerly'
Direct ancestors
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris