quatre French · revision 17377

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=la quattuor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /katʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ka.tʁə/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /kat/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quatre''' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|quatre]], also ''catre'', ''qatre''.^(Wiktionary)^(AND)

+ In familiar speech it is pronounced /kat/ before a consonant.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|quattor]], found in inscriptions, a reduced form of classical [[la|quattuor|t=four]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|2, 1440b)^(Wiktionary) The Indo-European numerals one to four were declined, “quattuor” became invariable as its endings fell together.^(DHLF 1992) It goes back to [[ine-pro|*kʷetwóres]], also the source of [[sa|चत्वारः|tr=catvā́raḥ]], [[grc|τέσσαρες|tr=téssares]], [[got|𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂|tr=fidwōr]] and [[en|four]].^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|quattro]], [[oc|quatre]], [[ca|quatre]], [[es|cuatro]], [[pt|quatro]] and [[ro|patru]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found at the end of the 10th century in the ''Passion'' of Clermont, as a cardinal number.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From Old French on, ''quatre'' often stood for a vague small or large number in set phrases.^(DHLF 1992) ''Quatre et quatre'' (about 1316) became ''quatre à quatre'' (1692), “very fast”, especially of running up or down stairs.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) ''Se mettre en quatre'' “to do one's utmost” is Corneille's (1636), ''ne pas y aller par quatre chemins'' “to come straight to the point” is in Oudin (1640), ''comme quatre'' “like four people” is Molière's (1663), and ''aux quatre coins du monde'' Mme de Sévigné's (1674).^(TLFi)^(BHVF)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ As a noun it named the number (1539) and a card or die face (1671); ''le quatre'' “the fourth day of the month” is from 1694.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – In the ''Passion'' of Clermont.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1316 – ''Quatre et quatre''.^(TLFi)

+ * 16th century – ''Quatrain'', in Marot.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1636 – ''Se mettre en quatre'', in Corneille.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+ * 1640 – ''Aller par quatre chemins'', in Oudin.^(TLFi)

+ * 1663 – ''Comme quatre'', in Molière.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1692 – ''Quatre à quatre''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # [[m|en|four]]: ''les quatre saisons'', ''à quatre pattes''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(ordinal)'' Fourth: ''Henri IV'', ''le quatre mai''.^(TLFi)

+ # A few: ''dire deux mots, quatre mots'', ''entre quatre yeux'': in private.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The number four; the four in cards or dice.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+ # ''Quatre à quatre'': four at a time, in a [[m|en|rush]], ''se mettre en quatre'': to bend over backwards.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[quatrième]]

+ * [[quatrain]]

+ * [[quatre-vingts]]

+ * [[quatre-quatre]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quart]]

+ * [[quarante]]

+ * [[quatorze]]

+ * [[quatuor]]

+ * [[la|quattuor]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}