quattro Italian · revision 37813

21 Oct 2026, 19:38 by bogdan “Italian it10k batch it75e b05” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=12th century, Inventario fondano|origins=ine-pro *kʷetwóres}}
+ 
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * /ˈkwat.tro/^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''quattro''' (invariable; also a masculine noun, invariable; elided ''quattr''’ in some phrases)^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[inh|la|quattuor|t=four]], through a spoken form [[m|la-vul|quattor]] in which the ⟨u⟩ before the ending had dropped.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The Latin numeral is panromance: [[fr|quatre]], [[oc|quatre]], [[ca|quatre]], [[es|cuatro]], [[pt|quatro]], [[sc|battor]] and [[ro|patru]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)
+ 
+ Like all the basic numerals, the Latin word belongs to the oldest Indo-European vocabulary: it comes from [[itc-pro|*kʷettwōr]] and [[ine-pro|*kʷetwóres]], which was declined as a plural.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) Its relatives include [[grc|τέσσαρες|tr=téssares]], [[sa|चत्वारः|tr=catvā́ras]], [[lt|keturi]], [[cu|четыре|tr=četyre]], [[got|𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂|tr=fidwōr]], [[ga|ceathair]], [[en|four]] and [[de|vier]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) The ⟨a⟩ of the Latin form is unexpected beside [[osc|petora]]: de Vaan thinks it came from case forms and compounds with a zero-grade root, while Wiktionary calls the change unexplained.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The oldest record is the form ''quatru'' in an inventory from Fondi in the 12th century, where the canons owe the sacristan four measures of grain; the Tuscan ''quattro'' appears in 1211, in the account book of a group of Florentine bankers.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|15, 103)^(GRADIT 2003)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ Besides the plain number, ''quattro'' came to mean “a few, a small amount”, a use DELI first finds in Francesco Berni before 1535: ''fare quattro passi'' is to take a short walk, ''quattro soldi'' a trifling sum.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Many set phrases rest on it, such as ''a quattr’occhi'' “in private, face to face” (1585, Giovanni Maria Cecchi), ''farsi in quattro'' “to go to great lengths”, ''gridare ai quattro venti'' “to shout from the rooftops” and ''fare il diavolo a quattro'' “to make a terrible fuss”.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)
+ 
+ Its compound ''quattrocento'' “four hundred” (late 13th century, ''Novellino'') came to name the 15th century (before 1799, Parini), which gave ''quattrocentista'', an artist of that century (1826) and later a 400-metre runner (1950).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) In music, ''quattro'' named a piece for four instruments in the 18th century, and German took it over as ''Quattro'' in 1774.^(DIFIT)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 12th century – ''quatru'' in an inventory from Fondi.^(DELI 1999)
+ * 1211 – ''quattro'' in a Florentine bankers' account book.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)
+ * Late 13th century – ''quattrocento'' “four hundred” in the ''Novellino''.^(DELI 1999)
+ * Before 1535 – Francesco Berni uses ''quattro'' for “a few”.^(DELI 1999)
+ * 1585 – Giovanni Maria Cecchi uses ''a quattr’occhi''.^(DELI 1999)
+ * 1774 – German ''Quattro'' “a piece for four voices” is recorded.^(DIFIT)
+ * Before 1799 – Giuseppe Parini uses ''Quattrocento'' for the 15th century.^(DELI 1999)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Numeral===
+ # [[m|en|four]], three plus one: ''Ho comprato quattro sedie per la cucina.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)
+ # After a noun, fourth in a series: ''capitolo quattro'', ''pagina quattro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)
+ # A few, a small amount: ''fare quattro passi'', ''scambiare quattro chiacchiere'', ''quattro soldi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)
+ 
+ ===Noun===
+ # The number four, and the figure 4.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)
+ # The fourth day of a month, or the year four of a century: ''il quattro marzo''.^(GRADIT 2003)
+ 
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[quattrocento]]
+ * [[quattromila]]
+ * [[quattrocchi]]
+ * [[quattrocentesco]]
+ * [[quattrocentista]]
+ * [[quattrocentesimo]]
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[quarto]]
+ * [[quaranta]]
+ * [[quadrato]]
+ * [[la|quattuor]]
+ 
+ ==Usage notes==
+ ''Quattro'' elides in a few fixed phrases: ''a quattr’occhi'' and ''in quattro e quattr’otto'' “in no time at all”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) ''Dirne quattro'' to someone is to give them a piece of one's mind.^(Treccani 2011)
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}