tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11807812.post111789791167722088..comments2023-05-29T08:58:13.381-04:00Comments on Recycled Knowledge: Quiddity and haecceityJohn Cowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11807812.post-1118101873011552652005-06-06T19:51:00.000-04:002005-06-06T19:51:00.000-04:00Hmm. I thought the main difference was that "quid...Hmm. I thought the main difference was that "quiddity" could be the essence of a person or a thing, and that haecceity only applied to things. I think there is precedent for "quiddity" to cover phenotype as well as genotype, although since I have no full OED it may be a while before I find one (the well-known usage in "Hudibras" is indeterminate, I think). Of course, it's also worth noting the second meaning of "quiddity" as approximately "hair-splitting". And a final aside: another delightful import of Latin "quid" is in the phrase "tertium quid".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com