Etymologically
Log in

quadro

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:18. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkʷa.droː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkʷaː.dro][1]

Forms

quadrō (present infinitive quadrāre, perfect active quadrāvī, supine quadrātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from quadrum or quadrus “square”, from quattuor “four”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Varro, of squaring.[2] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to make square, square up timber or stone, as in Columella, and figuratively to put into shape.[2][3][5] In Horace it meant to make four times as great, and in Virgil, intransitively, to form a rectangle.[2] From Cicero it meant to square, accord, fit in with.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to correspond with, agree, fit exactly.[6] Through Vulgar Latin *exquadrāre and Old French esquire it gave English square in the mid-13th century, and Medieval Latin quareia, a place where stones are squared, gave English quarry.[7] It survives in Italian quadrare and Spanish cuadrar.[1]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of squaring.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of fitting in.[2][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of forming a rectangle.[2][4]
  • mid-13th century – English square is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make square, square up; to put into shape.[2]
  2. To quadruple.[2]
  3. To form a rectangle.[2]
  4. To square, fit, accord with.[2]

Word family

  • conquadrō
  • perquadrātus
  • quadrātiō
  • quadrātum
  • quadrātūra
  • quadrātus
  • quadrātārius
  • quadrātē
  • quadrātor

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com