[*] 310. Quis , quispiam , aliquis , quīdam , are particular indefinites, meaning some, a certain, any. Of these, quis, any one, is least definite, and quīdam, a certain one, most definite; aliquis and quispiam, some one, stand between the two:—
- dīxerit quis ( quispiam ), some one may say.
- aliquī philosophī ita putant, some philosophers think so. [ quīdam would mean certain persons defined to the speaker's mind, though not named.]
- “habitant hīc quaedam mulierēs pauperculae ” (Ter. Ad. 647) , some poor women live here [i.e. some women he knows of; some women or other would be aliquae or nesciō quae ].
- “quid sī hōc quispiam voluit deus ” (Ter. Eun. 875) , what if some god had desired this?
- nisi alicui suōrum negōtium daret (Nep. Dion. 8.2), unless he should employ some one of his friends.
- “cavēbat Pompêius omnia, nē aliquid vōs timērētis ” (Mil. 66) , Pompey took every precaution, so that you might have no fear.