por qué (Spanish)
Where does "por qué" come from?
The Spanish phrase "por qué," used to mean "why," is a straightforward compound of the preposition "por" and the interrogative "qué." While "qué" originates from the Latin "quid," "por" evolved from a Late Latin blend of "prō" (for) and "per" (through), both of which trace back to ancient Proto-Indo-European roots denoting movement, position, and direction.
Full etymology tree
- por qué (Spanish), 'why, for what reason'
- compound por (Spanish), 'by'
- inherited por (Old Spanish)
- inherited pōr (Latin), 'for'
- blend prō (Latin), 'oh! alas!'
- inherited *prō (Proto-Italic), 'for'
- inherited *pró (Proto-Indo-European), 'forwards, before'
- derived *pér (Proto-Indo-European), 'through'
- derived *-o (Proto-Indo-European), 'Adverbial suffix indicating direction'
- inherited *pró (Proto-Indo-European), 'forwards, before'
- inherited *prō (Proto-Italic), 'for'
- blend per (Latin), 'through, by means of'
- inherited *per (Proto-Italic), 'through, by means of'
- inherited *per- (Proto-Indo-European), 'before, in front'
- inherited *per (Proto-Italic), 'through, by means of'
- blend prō (Latin), 'oh! alas!'
- inherited pōr (Latin), 'for'
- inherited por (Old Spanish)
- compound qué (Spanish), 'what; which (interrogative only)'
- inherited quid (Latin), 'neuter nominative/accusative singular of quis'
- inherited *kʷid (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *kʷid (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *kʷid (Proto-Italic)
- inherited quid (Latin), 'neuter nominative/accusative singular of quis'
- compound por (Spanish), 'by'
Ancestors
- por (Spanish)
- qué (Spanish)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris