quel

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French quel, from Old French quel, from Latin quālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: quelle, quelles, quels

Determiner

quel m (feminine quelle, masculine plural quels, feminine plural quelles)

1. which

   Des psychologues ont essayé d’analyser quels traits physiques étaient considérés comme attirants. ― Psychologists have tried to analyse which physical traits are considered attractive

2. what, what a (used to form exclamations)

   Quelle catastrophe ! ― What a catastrophe!

   Quelle surprise ! ― What a surprise!

   Quelle horreur ! ― How awful!

   Quelle horrible personne ! ― What a terrible person!

Synonyms

• (which): (Louisiana, Cajun French) équel

Pronoun

quel m (feminine quelle, masculine plural quels, feminine plural quelles)

1. (interrogative) what

   Quel est son nom? ― What is his name?

Derived terms

• lequel
• quel que fût
• quel que soit
• quel qu’ait été
• quel qu’eût été
• quelque
• tel quel

 

See also

• qui
• quoi

Further reading

• “quel”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Adjective

quel

1. Apocopic form of quello, used before a consonant that is not impure.

Middle French

Alternative forms

• q̃l (abbreviation)

Etymology

From Old French quel, from Latin quālis, quālem.

Adjective

quel m (feminine singular quelle, masculine plural quelz, feminine plural quelles)

1. which
   • 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac, page 18:

     Si demanda l'ermite a messire Yvain de quel pays il estoit

     Then the hermit asked Sir Ywain which country he was from

Descendants

• French: quel

Old French

Etymology

From Latin quālis, quālem.

Adjective

quel m (oblique and nominative feminine singular quele)

1. which

Declension

Declension of quel

Number	Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	Subject	queus	quele	quel
	Oblique	quel			quele	quel
Plural	Subject	quel	queles		quel
	Oblique	queus			queles	quel

Descendants

• Middle French: quel
  • French: quel

Romansch

Etymology

Contracted from Vulgar Latin *eccum ille, from Latin eccum + ille.

Determiner

quel m (feminine quella)

1. that

Spanish

Pronoun

quel

1. Obsolete spelling of cual.