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quadraria

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word quadraria

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
823
Ultimate origin
Latin quadrus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin quadrus
Latin quadraria
From the same root
Latin quadrellus ← quadrus

Forms

quadraria f (genitive quadrariae); first declension[1] Medieval spellings include quarraria, quarreria, quareria, quarera, carraria and quadreria.[1][2] Du Cange explains the spelling quareia as standing for quareria.[3]

Etymology

It is from Latin quadrus (“square”) + -ārius, in the feminine,[4][1] literally a place where stones are squared.[5] Du Cange glosses it as a pit from which squared stones are dug.[3]

Etymonline derives the English word quarry from quareia, a dissimilated form of quarreria, and connects it with quadrō (“to make square”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest record is a charter of 823, meaning a quarry.[2]

Semantic evolution

The word kept the one sense through the Middle Ages, in many spellings.[1][2] The Domesday Book lists quarries among the sources of rent.[4] Abbot Suger, in his book on the consecration of the church of Saint-Denis, admires a quarry near Pontoise.[3] Charters grant monks quarries beside turbaries and stone pits.[3]

Timeline

  • 823 – First recorded in a charter.[2]
  • 1085–1086 – The Domesday Book lists quarries yielding rents.[4][6]
  • 1208 – A charter mentions the tithes of a mill, a fishery and a quarry.[3]
  • late 14th century – English quarry is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A quarry, a place where stone is cut.[1][4][3][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  2. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ a b c d e f du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  4. ^ a b c d Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Cite this entry

“Quadraria.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/quadraria. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·