quadri-

Forms

quadri- ^[1] Also quadru-.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kʷtur-, the form of the Proto-Indo-European word for “four” used in compounds,^[2] and serves as the compounding form of quattuor (“four”).^[3][2] De Vaan reports Peter Schrijver's explanation of the ⟨d⟩: /t/ was voiced between consonants, first in the words for “forty” and “fourth”, and ⟨quadr-⟩ then spread to other compounds.^[2] Wiktionary likewise has *-twr̥- develop into -dr-, and gives Proto-Italic *kʷetru-.^[1]

The Sabellic languages have the stem with /p/: Umbrian peturpursus (“quadruped”) and Oscan petiropert (“four times”).^[2] Ancient Greek has τετρα- (tetra-) beside τέσσαρες (téssares) in the same way.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan records compounds in quadru- or quadri- from Naevius (c. 235–200 BC) on,^[2][4] and Plautus already has quadrīgae “a four-horse chariot”, quadrīmus “four years old” and quadrīduum “a period of four days”.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It forms words for what has or consists of four of the things named.^[3] In quadrīmus it is joined to a form related to hiems (“winter”), in quadrīduum to one related to diēs (“day”), and in quadriennium to annus (“year”) with the suffix -ium.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses quadrīgae, quadrīmus and quadrīduum.^[3][4]
• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius has compounds in quadru- or quadri-.^[2][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato has quadrīduum in his work on agriculture.^[3][4]

Meanings

Prefix

1. four; having or consisting of four of the things named: quadrīga, quadriennium, quadrīduum.^[3][1]

Word family

• quadrīga
• quadrīmus
• quadrīduum
• quadriennium

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de