quartiere Italian · revision 38887

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 13th century|origins=la quartus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /kwarˈtjɛ.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quartiere''' ''m'' (plural quartieri)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''quartiero'', ''quartieri'' (singular) and ''quarteri''.^(DEI|3173)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI|15)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|quartier|t=fourth part; district]], recorded in 1080.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The French word continues [[la|quartārius|t=a fourth part]], from [[m|la|quartus|t=fourth]], since the district was originally one of the four parts into which a town was divided.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(OLD 2012) [[la-med|quarterius]] appears in Salimbene (1281–1288), and [[m|la-med|quarterium]] at Taranto in 1117.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3173) Devoto–Oli and Treccani describe it as formed from [[quarto]] on the model of the French word.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) The native Tuscan outcome of the Latin word is [[quartaio]].^(DEI|3173)^(REW 1935)

+

+ The military phrases meaning “to ask for quarter”, “to give quarter” and “without quarter” are calques of [[fr|demander quartier]] (1673), [[m|fr|donner quartier]] (1611) and [[m|fr|sans quartier]] (before 1763), where the troops' lodging had come to mean a place of safety.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini and GRADIT date the word to the end of the 13th century;^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) DELI's first Italian record is in a 14th-century translation of Livy, for a part of a town.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) Giovanni Villani used it in heraldry, for a quarter of a shield (before 1348).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The quarters of medieval Florence were the model: the GDLI connects the division into four with the two main streets of the Roman camp.^(GDLI|15) The sense later widened to any district of a town with its own character.^(GDLI|15)^(GRADIT 2003) In 1550 the word is recorded for the buildings that lodge troops, in 1685 for an apartment, a sense now Tuscan, and in 1846 for the back of a shoe.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) ''Quartiere generale'' (headquarters) dates from the 19th century.^(DEI|3173)

+

+ Modern compounds include ''quartiere dormitorio'' (a commuter suburb) and ''quartieri alti'' (the smart districts).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020) English took the word for an Italian urban district in 1888.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1117 – Medieval Latin ''quarterium'' is recorded at Taranto.^(DEI|3173)

+ * 1281–1288 – Salimbene uses ''quarterius''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 13th century – ''Quartiere'' enters Italian.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses the heraldic sense.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1550 – The sense “troops' lodging” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1685 – The sense “apartment” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1803 – Alfieri uses ''quartierino'', a small flat.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1846 – The sense “back of a shoe” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1888 – English ''quartiere'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|district]], [[m|en|neighbourhood]] of a town with its own character: ''Abitiamo in un quartiere tranquillo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(history)'' One of the four parts into which many medieval towns were divided.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # The residents of a district: ''Tutto il quartiere si è mobilitato.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # An administrative division of a large town: ''consiglio di quartiere''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(Tuscany)'' An apartment, a flat.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(military)'' [[m|en|quarters]], the buildings where troops are lodged: ''quartieri d'inverno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Quarter, mercy to a defeated enemy; respite: ''una lotta senza quartiere''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(heraldry)'' A quarter of a shield.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(nautical)'' One of the three lengthwise sections of a ship; one of the removable boards that close a hatchway.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[quartierino]]

+ * [[quartiermastro]]

+ * [[acquartierare]]

+ * [[acquartieramento]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quarto]]

+ * [[sestiere]]

+ * [[rione]]

+ * [[fr|quartier]]

+ * [[la|quartārius]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Quartier generale'' (headquarters) is also used figuratively for the base of an organisation.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) An old ''quartiere'' adapted from English ''quarter'', a measure of grain and of weight, appears in 18th-century writers.^(GDLI|15, 85)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}