Etymology

quasi-

Today it means: Almost; virtually. Full definition →

First used 17th c.Latin quasī̆ ← Proto-Italic *sei ← Proto-Indo-European *só
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kʷís
  3. Proto-Italic*kʷis
  4. Proto-Indo-European*kʷ-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*kʷos
  6. Proto-Italic*kʷoi
  7. Latinquam
  8. Proto-Indo-European*só
  9. Proto-Italic*sei
  10. Latinsī
  11. Latinquasī̆
  12. English todayquasi-

Borrowed from Latin quasi (“almost; as it were”), from quam (interrogative adverb) + sī (conditional particle).

Words from the same roots

Latinquasi all →

quasi

First known use, by meaning

  • from 17th c. Apparently, seemingly, or resembling.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.