meaning - How is the word "qua" used?


I play Scrabble. I'm learning words with the letter 'q'. What is the usage of the word 'qua'?



Answer



It's from Latin, meaning "what" or "as." The entry at Dictionary.com gives this example:


"The work of art qua art can be judged by aesthetic criteria only."


The point (aside from sounding a little pretentious) would be to contrast "art qua art" with, say, "art as a commercial enterprise" - where the criteria would be whether a particular piece is salable.


It's also used as part of the phrase (also from Latin) "sine qua non," meaning something essential to something else ("money is sine qua non for an American political campaign").


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