Terminus A Quo (Noun)
Meaning
Earliest limiting point.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- The archaeologists set the terminus a quo of the ancient civilization at around 300 BCE, as that was the earliest point at which they could verify the culture's presence.
- In contract negotiations, the company's current offer served as a terminus a quo, below which they were unwilling to go.
- The 9th-century manuscript was established as the terminus a quo for the poem's original composition.
- Historians have long debated the terminus a quo of the great migration, with some arguing it occurred as early as 50,000 years ago.
- The earliest known fossil record of the species was set as the terminus a quo for its existence, around 2 million years ago.