Qu
/kw/noun
A Latin-derived digraph used in English, usually representing the sound /kw/ as in “queen.”
Did you know?The “qu” in English question words such as “what,” “which,” and “who” traces back to the same ancient Indo-European labiovelar sound, linking them to one prehistoric question-making family.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷ
“A reconstructed labiovelar consonant, pronounced roughly like a k made with rounded lips.”
Proto-Italic
Proto-Italic
*kʷ
“The inherited labiovelar sound maintained in the ancestor of Latin.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
qu
“A spelling sequence representing the labiovelar sound /kʷ/, as in Latin quī meaning “who” or “which.””
Old French
Old French
qu
“A Latin-inherited spelling used in French words and grammatical forms, commonly representing /k/ or /kw/ depending on the word and period.”
Middle English
Middle English
qu
“A borrowed Latin- and French-based digraph increasingly used in English spelling for /kw/.”
Modern English
English
qu
“The conventional digraph in words such as “queen,” “question,” and “quick,” generally pronounced /kw/.”