different between erstwhile vs quondam

English

Etymology

erst (“first, formerly”) +? while

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???(?)st.wa?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??st.wa?l/

Adverb

erstwhile (not comparable)

1. Formerly; in the past.

Synonyms

• erewhile

Translations

Adjective

erstwhile (not comparable)

1. (literary, law) Former, previous.

   Synonyms: former, once, previous, quondam, onetime; see also Thesaurus:former
2. (proscribed) Respected, honourable.

Usage notes

The use of erstwhile to mean “respected” stems from a conflation with esteemed in phrases such as erstwhile colleague and is proscribed by most authorities.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• wehrlites

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin quondam. Compare whilom.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kw?nd?m/

Adjective

quondam (not comparable)

1. (formal) Former; once; at one time.

   Synonyms: erstwhile; see also Thesaurus:former

Derived terms

• quondamly
• quondamship

Translations

Further reading

• “quondam”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

Latin

Etymology

From cum (“when”) (older quom) + -dam (“demonstrative ending”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?k?on.dam/, [?k??n?d?ä??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?kwon.dam/, [?kw?n?d??m]

Adverb

quondam (not comparable)

1. at a certain time, at one time, once, heretofore, formerly
2. sometimes

See also

References

• quondam in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• quondam in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• quondam in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• quondam in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette