Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

quĭă, conj. [for quiam, from abl. quī and jam, whereby now; hence], because (usually, like quod, of the determining reason; while quonĭam introduces any casual circumstance).

  1. I. In gen., constr. with indic. in asserting a fact; with subj. in stating an assumed reason, or one entertained by another mind: quia fores nostras ausa es accedere, quiaque istas buccas, Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 34: urbs, quae quia postrema aedificata est, Neapolis nominatur, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 53, § 119: non quia multis debeo, id. Planc. 32, 78: non quia plus animi victis est, sed, etc., Liv. 10, 41, 12: non tam quia pacem volebant Samnites, quam quia nondum parati erant ad bellum, id. 8, 19, 3; 7, 30, 13; 33, 27, 6; 39, 41, 2.
    With subj.: nil satis est, inquit, quia tantum, quantum habeas, sis, Hor. S. 1, 1, 62; cf. id. Ep. 1, 1, 30; Just. 17, 3, 10: mater irata est, quia non redierim, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 103; Hor. S. 2, 3, 101; 2, 2, 25; Just. 24, 3, 3: carent quia, Hor. C. 4, 9, 28.
  2. II. Esp., with other particles.
    1. A. Quiane, in a question, because? (ante-class. and poet.): Do. Tu nunc me irrides? Le. Quiane te voco, bene ut tibi sit? Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 69: quiane auxilio juvat ante levatos? Verg. A. 4, 538.
    2. B. Quia enim, because forsooth (poet.): quī tibi nunc istuc in mentem venit? So. Quia enim sero advenimus, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 34; Ter. Heaut. 1, 2, 14.
    3. C. Quia nam, and quianam, like the Gr. τί γάρ, why? wherefore? (poet.): quianam pro quare et cur positum apud antiquos, Fest. p. 257 Müll.; Naev. and Enn. ap. Fest. l. l.: quianam arbitrare? Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 34: quianam legiones caedimu’ ferro? Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A 10, 6: quianam sententia vobis Versa retro? Verg. A. 10, 6; 5, 13 al.
  3. III. Introducing an object-clause, = quod, that (postclass.): nescitis quia iniqui non possidebunt? Vulg. 1 Cor. 6, 9; id. 4 Reg. 2, 3: credo, quia mendacio possunt (animas movere), Tert. Anim. 5; id. Idol. 20: ignoras, quia, etc., Aug. Serm. 9, 3; Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 6, 62: non advertentes, quia, etc., Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 5, 71.
    Quia very rarely follows the verb, Hor. S. 1, 9, 51.