quarto Italian · revision 39133

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1230–1260, Decime mugellane|origins=ine-pro *kʷetwr̥tós}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈkwar.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quarto''' (feminine quarta, masculine plural quarti, feminine plural quarte)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|quartus|t=fourth]], the ordinal of [[m|la|quattuor|t=four]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Prati 1951) The same word is [[fro|quart]], [[oc|quart]], [[ca|quart]], [[es|cuarto]], [[pt|quarto]], Logudorese [[m|sc|kartu]] and [[fur|kuart]];^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) French now says [[m|fr|quatrième]] for the ordinal.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ The Latin ordinal goes back to [[ine-pro|*kʷetwr̥tós]], formed on [[m|ine-pro|*kʷetwóres|t=four]] with the reduced grade of the root and the ordinal suffix [[m|ine-pro|*-tós]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) Parallel ordinals are [[grc|τέταρτος|tr=tétartos]], [[sa|चतुर्थ|tr=caturtha]] and [[lt|ketvirtas]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) Devoto explains the long vowel of Latin [[m|la|quārtus]] by the simplification of the consonant group, and cites the Praenestine form [[m|la|quorta|alt=Quorta]] as an intermediate form.^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record, from the ''Decime mugellane'' of 1230–1260, is a noun use, “the one in fourth place”.^(DELI 1999) The adjective “fourth” is in Bono Giamboni's ''Vizi e virtudi'' (before 1292), and the noun “one of four equal parts” in the ''Novellino'' at the end of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As a noun ''quarto'' named a quarter of many things: a quarter of a ''soldo'' or ''denaro'' and later a silver coin, a measure of wine or grain, the quarters into which a slaughtered animal is cut (Firenzuola, 1518–1525) and the body of an executed man, and in heraldry a quarter of the shield (before 1750).^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3174)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The ''quarto d'ora'', a quarter of an hour, is in Berni.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) In 17th-century courtly prose ''quarto'' also meant a suite of rooms, after Spanish ''cuarto''.^(GDLI)

+

+ DIFIT dates the printing sense, a sheet folded twice to give eight pages, to 1570, and the musical ''quarto di tono'' to 1695;^(DIFIT) German took ''Quarto'' as a printing term about 1700.^(DIFIT) The feminine [[quarta]] became a noun by ellipsis: the fourth class at school, the fourth gear of a car (1929), a musical interval (1556); ''partire in quarta'' “to start at full speed” is from 1943.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Set phrases include the ''quarto potere'', the press, and the ''Quarto Stato'', the proletariat.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1230–1260 – The ''Decime mugellane'' use ''quarto'' for the one in fourth place.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it as the ordinal “fourth”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' has it for a fourth part.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1306 – Iacopone da Todi has ''quartana'', a fever that returns every fourth day.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1518–1525 – Firenzuola uses it for a quarter of a slaughtered animal.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1570 – The printing sense, the quarto format, is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1695 – ''Quarto di tono'', a quarter tone, is recorded in music.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1929 – ''Quarta'' is recorded for the fourth gear of a car.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|fourth]]: coming after the third in a series: ''Lavoro al quarto piano di quel palazzo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # After the name of a ruler or pope, written in Roman numerals: ''Enrico IV''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''Il quarto secolo'': the years 301 to 400 (Devoto–Oli) or 300 to 399 (GRADIT).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The fourth person or thing in a series: ''È arrivato quarto nella gara di nuoto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A [[m|en|quarter]], one of four equal parts of a whole: ''Ho mangiato solo un quarto della pizza.''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A quarter of a unit of measure, especially a quarter of a litre of wine: ''un quarto di rosso''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # One of the four parts into which a slaughtered or cooked animal is cut: ''un quarto di agnello arrosto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(printing)'' The [[m|en|quarto]] format.^(DIFIT)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(heraldry)'' A quarter of the shield.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[quarta]]

+ * [[quartana]]

+ * [[quartetto]]

+ * [[quartina]]

+ * [[quartino]]

+ * [[quartultimo]]

+ * [[squartare]]

+ * [[quartazione]]

+ * [[quartara]]

+ * [[quartarolo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[capoquarto]]

+ * [[quartiere]]

+ * [[quartile]]

+ * [[quartogenito]]

+ * [[quattro]]

+ * [[la|quartus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Un quarto d'ora'' is fifteen minutes;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) ''passare un brutto quarto d'ora'' is to have a bad time of it.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) ''Di quart'ordine'' means “of very poor quality”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) A different noun ''quarto'' “apartment, suite of rooms”, from Spanish ''cuarto'', was used in the 17th and 18th centuries.^(GDLI)^(DEI|3174)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}