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quem

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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Latin

Alternative forms

  • quaem (Merovingian, hypercorrection)

Pronunciation

Pronoun

quem

  1. accusative masculine singular of quī

Adjective

quem

  1. accusative masculine singular of quī

Pronoun

quem

  1. accusative masculine/feminine singular of quis

References

  • “quem”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
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Middle English

Pronoun

quem

  1. (Northern) alternative form of whom (“who, whom”, accusative)

Portuguese

Etymology 1

    From Old Galician-Portuguese quen, from Latin quem (“whom”), accusative case of interrogative quis (“who?”) and relative quī (“who”).

    Alternative forms

    Pronunciation

    Pronoun

    quem

    1. (interrogative) who; whom (which person?)
      Quem viu o novo filme? ― Who has seen the new film?
      Quem fez isso? ― Who did this?
      Com quem devo falar? ― Whom should I speak to?
      E este artigo foi escrito por quem? ― And this article was written by whom?
    2. (relative) who; whom; that (the person who[m] or that)
      Foi ele quem me falou de você. ― It was he who told me about you.
      A moça a quem dei meu número não me ligou. ― The young lady I gave my number to hasn't called me.
    3. (indefinite) those who; people who; anyone who; who(m)ever
      Synonyms: aqueles que, pessoas que, os que
      Não me lembro do nome de quem me ligou. ― I don’t remember the name of the person who called me.
      Quem quiser sair, que o faça. ― Whoever wants to leave may do so.
      A quem interessar possa, a decisão tomada está abaixo descrita. ― To whom it may concern, the decision made is hereineafter described.
      • 1890, Aluizio Azevedo, O Cortiço, Rio de Janeiro: B. L. Garnier:
        Um acordar alegre e farto de quem dormiu de uma assentada sete horas de chumbo
        A joyful and hearty awakening of someone who had slept for seven heavy hours straight. [Literally, “for seven lead-hours in a sitting”, because lead is a heavy metal.]
      • 2006, Eduardo Giffoni Flórido, As grandes personagens da história do cinema brasileiro: 1970–1979 [The great personages in the history of Brazilian cinema: 1970–1979]‎, Fraiha, →ISBN, page 130:
        Nuno Leal Maia é um grande amigo dos amigos. Quem já conviveu ou convive com ele sabe da sua personalidade alegre e descontraída, sem estrelismo, que cativa as pessoas com o seu bom humor constante.
        Nuno Leal Maia is a great big friend. Whoever had lived or lives with him knows of his overjoyed and easygoing personality, which has no haughtiness and captivates people with his never-changing good spirits.
      • 2013, Carlos Sérgio Rodrigues, Anamnesis, Leya, →ISBN, pages 30–31:
        Um vulto encontrava-se dentro do carro. Daquela distância, Diana tentou perceber quem seria a companhia — nos dedos da catraia não brilhava nenhum anel de ouro, por isso seria namorado, acompanhante, amigo colorido, ou outras novidades que os miúdos inventam. Nas casas dos quarenta já nada nos espanta, nem apoquenta. A surpresa vem com a juventude e com a velhice chega a reflexão. No entretanto, sobeja a apatia.
        A shadowy figure could be seen inside the car. From her distance, Diana tried to make out who would be that companion: on the lass's fingers, there gleamed no golden ring, so that'd be a lover, a date, a friend with benefits, or other novelties kids make up these days. In our forties, nothing shocks us any more, nor bothers us. In youth there are many a surprise, and old age brings reflexion; nevertheless, apathy abounds.
    Derived terms

    Etymology 2

    Interjection

    quem

    2. (prescriptive) alternative spelling of quém
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