*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of cue

From Middle English cu (used for half a farthing, from q as an abbreviation for Latin quadrāns (“quarter of an as”)), from Latin cū, kū. Compare French ku.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

The name of the Latin script letter Q/q. · A small portion of bread or beer; the quantity bought with a farthing or half farthing and noted with a q (for Latin quadrāns (“farthing”)) in the buttery books.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English cu (used for half a farthing, from q as an abbreviation for Latin quadrāns (“quarter of an as”)), from Latin cū, kū. Compare French ku.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentioncuenm
  • Derivation mentionquadrānsla · quarter of an as
  • Derivation mentioncūla
  • Cognate mentionkufr
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "cu"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English cu"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "quadrāns",
        "t": "quarter of an as"
      },
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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      },
      "expansion": "Latin cū"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "ku"
      },
      "expansion": "French ku"
    }
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  "links": [
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      "cu",
      "cu#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "quadrāns",
      "quadrans#Latin"
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      "cū",
      "cu#Latin"
    ],
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      "kū",
      "ku#Latin"
    ],
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      "ku",
      "ku#French"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "glosses": [
        "The name of the Latin script letter Q/q.",
        "A small portion of bread or beer; the quantity bought with a farthing or half farthing and noted with a q (for Latin quadrāns (“farthing”)) in the buttery books."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "obsolete"
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To give someone a cue signal. · To spark or provoke.

noun

An action or event that is a signal for somebody to do something. · The last words of a play actor's speech, serving as an intimation for the next actor to speak; any word or words which serve to remind an actor to speak or to do something; a catchword. · A marker or signal that triggers something, such as the start of an audio recording. · A hint or intimation.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From earlier qu, abbreviation of Latin quandō (“when”), marked on actor's play copy where they were to begin.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "quandō",
        "gloss": "when"
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      "expansion": "Latin quandō (“when”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "quandō",
      "quando#Latin"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To take aim on the cue ball with the cue and hit it. · To form into a cue; to braid; to twist.

noun

A straight tapering stick used to hit the balls in various games. · The tail; the end of a thing; especially, a tail-like twist of hair worn at the back of the head; a queue.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Variant of queue, from French queue (“tail”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentionqueuefr
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for cue →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Y3Vl