qua

[kwey, kwah]

adverb

as; as being; in the character or capacity of: The work of art qua art can be judged by aesthetic criteria only.

Origin of qua

1640–50; < Latin quā feminine ablative singular of quī who

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for qua

Historical Examples of qua

They hated Englishmen, qua Englishmen, and made no secret of it.
Ireland as It Is
Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)
But, strictly speaking, this is not a binding of the Will qua Will.
Mind and Motion and Monism
George John Romanes
Mundus est la garanne au diable in qua venatur ut capiat animas, et tendit ibi laqueos infinitos.
Selections from Early Middle English 1130-1250: Part II: Notes
Various
The leader of the Qua or Singers was himself the only one who acted as qua, when called on to serve the Haga.
Omaha sociology (1884 N 03 / 1881-1882 (pages 205-370))
James Owen Dorsey
Some brave men are selected to act as "qua," part of whom, however, 344 are members of the society.
Omaha sociology (1884 N 03 / 1881-1882 (pages 205-370))
James Owen Dorsey

British Dictionary definitions for qua

qua

preposition

in the capacity of; by virtue of being

Word Origin for qua

C17: from Latin, ablative singular (feminine) of qui who

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for qua

"as, in the capacity of," from Latin qua "where? on which side? at which place? which way? in what direction?" figuratively "how? in what manner? by what method?; to what extent? in what degree?" correlative pronomial adverb of place, from PIE *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns (cf. Old English hwa "who;" see who).