quater

Forms

quater (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It continues ⟨*quatrus⟩, from the root of quattuor “four”; de Vaan reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *kʷturs (“four times”).^[2][3] Cognate with Avestan 𐬗𐬀𐬭𐬎𐬱 (čaruš, “four times”) and Oscan petiropert (“four times”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, multiplying numbers: quater quīnīs mīnīs “four times five minae”.^[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant four times, in Varro of occasions (“they bear four times a year”), and as a multiplier, as in Plautus.^[2][4] Terque quaterque “three and four times” meant again and again, as in Virgil and Horace, and quater deciēs is fourteen times in Cicero.^[2][6]

Anselm and the British Medieval Latin mathematicians used it for four times.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it as a multiplier.^[2][5]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of occasions.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil has terque quaterque.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Four times.^[2]
2. terque quaterque, again and again.^[2]

Word family

• quaternus

Related words

• quattuor
• quārtus
• quaternī
• ter

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ 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