quintessence English · revision 1110

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kwɪnˈtɛs.əns/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''quyntessense'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|frm|quinte essence]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|la-med|quinta essentia|t=fifth essence]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from Latin ''quīnta'' “fifth” and ''essentia'' “being, essence”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) It is a loan translation of Greek ''pémptē ousía'' “fifth being”, the [[ether]] that Aristotle added to the four elements.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth essence, the substance of the heavenly bodies, latent in all things (about 1430–35).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The ether was thought to be bright, incorruptible and naturally moving in circles,^(Etymonline) and extracting it was one of the chief aims of alchemy.^(Etymonline) From 1570 the word meant the purest form or most essential part of anything,^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) from 1576 a refined extract,^(OED 1989) and from 1590 the most perfect embodiment of a type.^(OED 1989) ''Quintessential'' is from 1605.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 1430 – the fifth essence.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1570 – the purest form of something.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1576 – a highly refined extract.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1590 – the most perfect embodiment.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1605 – ''quintessential''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The pure, highly concentrated [[essence]] of something.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The purest or most typical example of something; the [[epitome]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth element after earth, air, fire and water, thought to make up the heavenly bodies.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[quintessential]]

+ * [[quintessentially]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[essence]]

+ * [[ether]]

+ * [[quint-]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}