quid malum
[ˈkʷɪd ˈma.ɫũː]word by word
The English phrase "what the hell" is expressed in Latin as quid malum.
This phrase acts as an intensive form of the interrogative pronoun "what".
Meaning: an intensive form of what (phrase)
Did you know?
- The word malum in this phrase can be a source of confusion because it is a homonym for the Latin word for 'apple'.
- Because Latin lacks a direct equivalent for the modern English concept of 'hell' used as a slang intensifier, using malum shifts the focus from a place to a quality of 'badness'.
- The adjective malus (the root of malum) is the direct ancestor of English words like 'malice' and 'malignant'.
Examples in context
- Quid in terris accidit?What on Earth happened?
- Quidnam diaboli hoc est?What in the devil is this?
Example conversation
Lucius finds a strange object on the table.
- LuciusClaudia, quid malum est hoc?Claudia, what the hell is this?
- ClaudiaId est donum pro te.That is a gift for you.
- LuciusCur id hic posuisti?Why did you put it here?
- ClaudiaUt id cito videas.So that you would see it quickly.
