Etymologically
Log in

quartum

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word quartum

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
204–169 BC, Ennius
Ultimate origin
Latin quārtus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin quartus
French quart
Italian quarto
Latin quartum
From the same root
Latin quarta ← quartus
Latin quartarium ← quartus
French quartier ← quart

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈkʷaːr.tũː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈkʷar.tum][1]

Forms

quārtum (adverb); as a noun quārtum n (genitive quārtī); second declension[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin quārtus (“fourth”), whose neuter accusative serves as the adverb.[4][3] The noun is the neuter of the same adjective used substantively.[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Conte's earliest example of the adverb, “for the fourth time”, is from Ennius' Annals.[3]

Semantic evolution

Cicero uses the adverb in his letters,[3][2] and Varro in the sense “in the fourth place”.[3] Beside it the ablative quārtō was also used as an adverb.[6]

As a noun it meant a quarter: Columella speaks of a field that answers with a fourfold yield, cum quārtō respondēre.[3][2] In Medieval Latin it was a tribute of a fourth of the crop.[7][5]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses the adverb, “for the fourth time”.[3][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it for “in the fourth place”.[3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in his letters.[3][5]
  • 1st century AD – Columella uses the noun of a fourfold yield.[3][2][5]
  • 804 – First recorded as a medieval tribute.[5]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. For the fourth time.[4][3]
  2. In the fourth place, fourthly.[4][3]

Noun

  1. A fourth part, a quarter;[2][3] cum quārtō respondēre, to yield fourfold.[2][3]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A tribute of a fourth of the crop.[7][5]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Simpson, D. P. (1959), Cassell's New Latin Dictionary, London: Cassell
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Quartum.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/quartum. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·