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quadrellus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word quadrellus

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

Forms

quadrellus m (genitive quadrellī); second declension[1][2] Variants include quarrellus, quarellus, querellus, carrellus and quadrillus.[1][2] British sources also have a neuter quadrellum.[3]

Etymology

It is from Latin quadrus (“square”) + -ellus.[1][3][2] Etymonline relates quadrus to quattuor (“four”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest record is a charter of 868.[2] The first sense in Niermeyer is a land measure, a twentieth of an arpent;[1][5] Du Cange quotes an estate list in Hariulf's chronicle that counts meadow and marsh in quadrelli.[1][5]

Semantic evolution

Its best-known sense was the square-headed bolt shot from a crossbow.[1][3][5] It also named a square tile or paving stone, and a quarter of a hogshead.[1][5]

The crossbow bolt passed through Old French quarel into English as quarrel, and Medieval Latin quadrellus “square tile” gave the later English sense of a square pane of glass.[4]

Timeline

  • 868 – First recorded, in a charter.[2]
  • 1246 – An English record lists crossbows with two hundred quadrelli.[3]
  • mid-13th century – English quarrel “crossbow bolt” is borrowed from Old French.[4]
  • mid-15th century – English quarrel “square pane of glass” appears, from the sense “square tile”.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A land measure.[1][5]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A square-headed bolt for a crossbow, a quarrel.[1][3][5]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A square tile, paving stone.[1][5]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A quarter of a hogshead.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 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
  4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f g du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
Cite this entry

“Quadrellus.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/quadrellus. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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