Etymologically
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quartum

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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