adverb
quamvīs1
quamvīs (not comparable)
Classical[ˈkʷam.wiːs]Ecclesiastical[ˈkʷam.vis]
№ 489 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- not comparableas much (as you like), however
Ut ager, quamvis fertilis, sine cultura fructuosus esse non potest, sic sine doctrina animus.
Just as the field, however fertile, without cultivation cannot be fruitful, likewise the soul without education.c. 45 BCE, Cicero, Tusculanae disputationes 2.13 - not comparableeverso
- not comparablealthough
quam-vīs, adv. and
I. conj.
I. Adv., as you will, as much as you will or like, ever so much, ever so; hence, to designate a very high degree, as much as possible, very much, exceedingly (class.):
quamvis multos nominatim proferre, as many as you will, very many, Cic. Rosc. Am. 16, 47: esse quamvis facetum atque salsum, id. de Or. 2, 56, 228: quamvis callide, quamvis audacter, quamvis impudenter, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 54, § 134: quamvis subito, id. Lael. 5, 17: et praeter eos quamvis enumeres multos licet, ever so many, id. Leg. 3, 10, 24: per populum quamvis justum et moderatum, id. Rep. 1, 27, 43; 2, 30, 101: quamvis pauci, Caes. B. G. 4, 2: quamvis pernix, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 79: ridiculus, id. Men. 2, 2, 43: humanus et jocosus homo, Varr. R. R. 2, 5.—With sup.: quamvis vitiosissimus orator, Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 103; Col. 7, 8, 4; 2, 2, 25; 4, 24, 19; Tac. H. 2, 30; 3, 28; Quint. 6, prooem. 4; Plin. Ep. 9, 17, 1.— II. Conj., as much as ever you will, i. e. how much soever, however much, although, albeit; regularly joined with subj. (not so in Livy); only rarely, and mostly post-Aug., with indic. (v. infra).
(a). With subj.:
homines, quamvis in turbidis rebus sint, tamen, etc., Cic. Phil. 2, 16, 39: non igitur potestas est cum velis opitulandi rei publicae, quamvis ea prematur periculis, nisi, etc., id. Rep. 1, 6, 10: quamvis sit magna (exspectatio), tamen eam vinces, id. ib. 1, 23, 37; cf.: quamvis prudens ad cogitandum sis sicut es, tamen nisi, etc., id. Att. 12, 37, 2; and with this cf.: huc accedit, quod quamvis ille felix sit sicut est, tamen, etc., id. Rosc. Am. 8, 22: ipsas quamvis angusti terminus aevi Excipiat ... At genus immortale manet, Verg. G. 4, 206.— In a negative clause: senectus enim quamvis non sit gravis, Cic. Lael. 3, 11; 26, 97; Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 23: quamvis non fueris suasor, Cic. Att. 16, 7, 2.— (b). With indic.:
erat inter eos dignitate regiā, quamvis carebat nomine, Nep. Milt. 2, 2: quamvis infesto animo et minaci perveneras, Liv. 2, 40, 7; Cels. 1 praef.: quamvis est enim omnis hyperbole ultra finem, non tamen esse debet ultra modum, Quint. 8, 6, 73: carne tamen quamvis distat nil, Hor. S. 2, 2, 29: quamvis tacet Hermogenes, id. ib. 1, 3, 129; cf. Dillenb. ad Hor. C. 1, 28, 13; Verg. A. 5, 542; Ov. M. 2, 782. In Cic. only in joining to his discourse a Lucilian verse beginning with quamvis, Cic. de Or. 3, 23, 86.— (g). Without a verb, Carm. Marci ap. Fest. s. v. negumate, p. 165 Müll.:
res bello gesserat, quamvis rei publicae calamitosas, attamen magnas, Cic. Phil. 2, 45, 116: quamvis iniqua passi, id. Fam. 7, 3, 6; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 97, § 224; Col. 9, 14, 14.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
quam-vīs adv.
and conj.
I. I. Adv, as you will, as much as you will, however much, as much as possible, very much, extremely, exceedingly: quamvis multos nominatim proferre, any number: quamvis callide, quamvis audacter, quamvis impudenter: quamvis pauci, Cs.: quamvis vitiosissimus orator. —
II. II. Conj, as much as you will, how much soever, however much, although, albeit: homines, quamvis in turbidis rebus sint, tamen, etc.: quamvis mihi res non placeat: ipsas quamvis angusti terminus aevi Excipiat, At, etc., V.: senectus enim quamvis non sit gravis: quamvis patrem suum numquam viderat: erat inter eos dignitate regiā, quamvis carebat nomine, N.: quamvis infesto animo et minaci perveneras, L.: amat nostram, quamvis est rustica, Musam, V.: quamvis tacet Hermogenes, H.: quamvis tamen oderat illam, O.—Ellipt.: res bello gesserat, quamvis rei p. calamitosas, attamen magnas: ratio quamvis falsa.
Origins
From quam (“as much as”) + vīs (“you want”).