Translation
a certain one; someone
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Examples
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A certain man came to me.
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A certain woman said this.
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I heard someone speaking about this matter.
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Some of the soldiers fled.
quiddam mirabile .
There is something remarkable in this business.
is plus the fixed particle -dam, and only the front half declines: , , as an adjective and quiddam as a pronoun; genitive , dative cuidam, accusative , . That accusative is worth a look: the m of assimilates to the following d, which is why it is and never quemdam.
Against it is the more definite of the two. is "somebody or other", identity unknown; is "a particular somebody", identity known to the speaker but not being supplied. English "a certain" translates it exactly, and modern English's slightly arch use of "a certain Mr Smith" is the same move. In the plural it means "some, certain people", often with an edge, and it can also soften a bold metaphor, the way English says "a sort of".
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Latin · Free printables
quidam: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "quidam" (a certain one; someone): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 2, lesson 10: quidam, aio, fere and 6 more words.