Etymologically
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quartier

Etymology and origin of the French word quartier

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland (quarter)
Ultimate origin
Latin (quartus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin quartus
French quart
French quartier

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kaʁ.tje/[1]

Forms

quartier m (plural quartiers)[1]

Etymology

It is from French quart + -ier.[2][3][4][5][1] Medieval Latin had “quarterium” “a quarter of a town” (1117).[2] Littré derived it from Latin quartārius (“a quarter measure”), from quartus (“fourth”) (see quart).[6][7]

Compare Italian quartiere and Old Occitan cartier.[1][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) lur escuz de quarters are shields divided in quarters.[2]

Semantic evolution

The idea of a fourth part gave heraldic quarters (about 1225) and the quarters of noble descent (Boileau, 1665, quartiers de noblesse, 1718), a quarter of an ell (1229), three months' service at court (Froissart), a quarterly payment (mid-15th century) and the quarters of the moon (1539).[2]

The looser sense “part” gave a portion of land (about 1150), a piece of something (end of the 12th century) and of meat (early 14th century).[2] Troops' quarters are from about 1462, quartier d'hiver from 1668 and quartier général from 1713.[2] A quartier de sauveté (about 1470) was a place of safety for besieged troops, whence donner quartier “to spare a life” (mid-17th century) and pas de quartier.[2][5] A district of a town is in Coquillart (1480), and by metonymy its inhabitants in Boileau (1674).[2] Quartier libre is from 1938.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Quarter of a shield, Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • c. 1150 – A portion of land.[2]
  • c. 1462 – Troops' quarters.[2]
  • 1480 – A district of a town, Coquillart.[2]
  • 1539 – Dernier quartier de la lune.[2]
  • mid-17th century – Donner quartier.[2]
  • 1713 – Quartier général.[2]
  • 1938 – Quartier libre.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A district, neighbourhood of a town: le Quartier latin, les gens du quartier.[1][2]
  2. (France, plural) Deprived, often suburban neighbourhoods: les quartiers.[1]
  3. A quarter, fourth part; a piece, segment: un quartier d'orange, un quartier de bœuf.[3][1]
  4. (astronomy) A quarter of the moon: premier quartier.[2][1]
  5. (military) Quarters, barracks: quartiers d'hiver, quartier général, headquarters, quartier libre, time off.[2]
  6. (dated) Mercy: pas de quartier !, faire quartier.[1][2]
  7. (heraldry, genealogy) A quarter: quartiers de noblesse.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 1424a
Cite this entry

“Quartier.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/quartier. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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