Qua

Qua:                               'in the capacity of'

First encountered:          in a philosophy lecture.  Tricky little word. However many times I read a definition, I always forget it. This time it's going to stick.

A favourite of:               Philosophers and players of pub word games, especially word up.  Also very useful in Scrabble where it's worth twelve points.

First used (alot) by:      Aristotle allegedly.  An ancient greek given to philosophising in Latin.  Apparently.


Aristotle qua postage stamp

How to drop into everyday conversation:      *‘Since Aristotle divided being into many categories, being qua being deals with being in each category. Aristotle's description of being qua being is ambiguous...’  (but only if you're a philosopher, the rest of us don't care)

And for the rest of us:             Craig Revel Horwood is on SCD qua mean and nasty judge, but we all know he's a big softy really.

*Thanks to the Blackwell Dictionary of Western Philosophy http://tinyurl.com/c3dpfvd