Indo-European Lexicon
PIE Etymon and IE Reflexes
Below we display: a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) etymon adapted from Pokorny, with our own English gloss; our Semantic Field assignment(s) for the etymon, linked to information about the field(s); an optional Comment; and Reflexes (derived words) in various Indo-European languages, organized by family/group in west-to-east order where Germanic is split into West/North/East families and English, our language of primary emphasis, is artificially separated from West Germanic. IE Reflexes appear most often as single words with any optional letter(s) enclosed in parentheses; but alternative full spellings are separated by '/' and "principal parts" appear in a standard order (e.g. masculine, feminine, and neuter forms) separated by commas.
Reflexes are annotated with: Part-of-Speech and/or other Grammatical feature(s); a short Gloss which, especially for modern English reflexes, may be confined to the oldest sense; and some Source citation(s) with 'LRC' always understood as editor. Keys to PoS/Gram feature abbreviations and Source codes appear below the reflexes; at the end are links to the previous/next etyma [in Pokorny's alphabetic order] that have reflexes.
All reflex pages are currently under active construction; as time goes on, corrections may be made and/or more etyma & reflexes may be added.
Pokorny Etymon: ku̯etu̯er-, ku̯etu̯ō̆r-, ku̯etur- (masc.), ku̯etes(o)r- (fem.) 'four, fourth'
Semantic Field(s): Number
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | ||||
| Old Irish: | cethair | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| Irish: | ceathair | nbr.card | four (4) | LRC |
| Scots Gaelic: | ceithir | nbr.card | four (4) | LRC |
| Manx: | kiare | nbr.card | four (4) | LRC |
| Old Welsh: | petguar | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| Welsh: | pedwar | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD |
| English | ||||
| Old English: | fēorðung | n.fem | farthing, quarter (1/4) | ASD |
| fēower(e) | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD/W7 | |
| fēowertig | nbr.card | forty (40) | GED | |
| fēowertȳne | nbr.card | fourteen (14) | GED | |
| fēo(we)rða | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | ASD/W7 | |
| Middle English: | diatessaron | n | diatessaron | W7 |
| ferthing | n | farthing | W7 | |
| four | nbr.card | four (4) | W7 | |
| fourty | nbr.card | forty (40) | W7 | |
| quadrant | n | quadrant | W7 | |
| quadrate | adj | quadrate | W7 | |
| quadri- | pfx | quadri- | W7 | |
| quair | n | four paper sheets folded together once | W7 | |
| quarey | n | quarry | W7 | |
| quarrel | n | quarrel | W7 | |
| quarrere | n | quarry | W7 | |
| quart | n | quart | W7 | |
| quarter | n | quarter | W7 | |
| quarteyne | adj | quartan | W7 | |
| quaternyoun | n | quaternion | W7 | |
| square | n | square | W7 | |
| tetra- | pfx | tetra- | W7 | |
| English: | cadre | n | frame, framework | AHD/W7 |
| cahier | n | report/memorial concerning parliamentary policy | AHD/W7 | |
| carillon | n | fixed bells rung by hammers controlled by keyboard | AHD/W7 | |
| carnet | n | official pass/permit, customs document | AHD | |
| casern | n | military barracks/garrison | AHD | |
| cater-cornered | adj/adv | diagonal; set diagonally | AHD/CDC | |
| czardas | n | intricate Hungarian dance | AHD | |
| diatessaron | n | harmony of four Gospels edited/arranged into single connected narrative | AHD/W7 | |
| Eastfarthing | prop.n | Shire quadrant in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| escadrille | n | unit of European air force containing 6 airplanes | AHD/W7 | |
| Farthing | prop.n | Shire quadrant in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| farthing | n | British monetary unit (1/4 penny) | AHD/W7 | |
| forty | nbr.card | 40 | AHD/W7 | |
| four | nbr.card | 4 | AHD/W7 | |
| fourfold | adj | quadruple, 4 times the number/quantity | LRC | |
| fourth | nbr.ord | 4th | AHD/W7 | |
| Northfarthing | prop.n | Shire quadrant in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| quadrant | n | quarter | AHD/W7 | |
| quadrate | adj | being (approximately) square | AHD/W7 | |
| quadri- | pfx | four | AHD/W7 | |
| quadricentenary | n/adj | fourth centennial; re: 400 years | AHD | |
| quadrille | n | 4-handed card game | AHD/W7 | |
| quadroon | n | person of 1/4 black African ancestry | AHD/W7 | |
| quadrumanous | adj | four-handed, having four feet with with opposable first digits | AHD/CDC | |
| quarantine | n | period of 40 days | AHD/W7 | |
| quarrel | n | square-headed bolt/arrow esp. for crossbow | AHD/W7 | |
| quarry | n | open excavation for obtaining stone/slate for construction | AHD/W7 | |
| quart | n | unit of volume (1/4 of a gallon) | AHD/W7 | |
| quartan | adj | occurring every 4th day | AHD/W7 | |
| quarter | n | 1/4 part | AHD/W7 | |
| quarter | vb | to divide into four (nearly) equal parts | W7 | |
| quarters | n.pl | lodgings, living accommodations | W9 | |
| quartet | n | group of four | W7 | |
| quarto | n | 1/4 of full sheet of paper | AHD/W7 | |
| quaternary | adj | quadruple, re: 4 units/members | AHD/W7 | |
| quaternion | n | tetrad, 4 parts/things/persons | AHD/W7 | |
| quatrain | n | 4 lines of verse | AHD/W7 | |
| quire | n | 24/25 sheets of paper in same size/quality: 1/20 ream | AHD/W7 | |
| Southfarthing | prop.n | Shire quadrant in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| squad | n | small organized military group | AHD/W7 | |
| square | n | tool with 2 straight edges at 90 degree angle | AHD/W7 | |
| tessera | n | small wood/bone/ivory tablet used as ticket, voucher, etc. | AHD/W7 | |
| tetra- | pfx | four | AHD/W7 | |
| tetrad | n | group/arrangement of four | AHD/W7 | |
| tetrahedron | n | polyhedron of four faces | AHD/W7 | |
| trocar | n | pointed metal instrument fitted with cannula | AHD/W7 | |
| Westfarthing | prop.n | Shire quadrant in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old Frisian: | fiortig | nbr.card | forty (40) | GED |
| fio(we)r, fiuwer | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD | |
| fiuwertich | nbr.card | forty (40) | GED | |
| fiūwertīne | nbr.card | fourteen (14) | GED | |
| Frisian: | fjouver | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD |
| Dutch: | kazerne | n | quarters, barracks | TLL |
| vier | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD | |
| Old Saxon: | fi(u)war, fior | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD |
| Low German: | veer | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD |
| Old High German: | fior | nbr.card | four (4) | W7 |
| fiordo | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE | |
| fiorzehan | nbr.card | fourteen (14) | GED | |
| fiorzug | nbr.card | forty (40) | GED | |
| Middle High German: | vier | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD |
| vierdunc | n | 1/4 part | W7 | |
| German: | Kaserne | n | quarters, barracks | TLL |
| vier | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD | |
| vierzehn | nbr.card | fourteen (14) | LRC | |
| vierzig | nbr.card | forty (40) | LRC | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Old Norse: | fjōrði | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE |
| fjórðung | n | 1/4 part of land area | LRC | |
| fjōrir | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE | |
| Old Icelandic: | fjōrir-tiger | nbr.card | forty (40) | GED |
| fjōrtān | nbr.card | fourteen (14) | GED | |
| Icelandic: | fjōrir | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD |
| Danish: | fire | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD |
| kasern | n | quarters, barracks | TLL | |
| Swedish: | fyre | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD |
| kasern | n | quarters, barracks | TLL | |
| East Germanic | ||||
| Gothic: | fidwor | nbr.card | four (4) | ASD |
| fidwor-taihun | nbr.card | fourteen (14) | GED | |
| *fidwor-tigjus | nbr.card | forty (40) | GED | |
| Crimean Gothic: | *fiirdeiþien, furdei-thien | nbr.card | forty (40), lit. fourth ten | CGo/GED |
| fyder | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE | |
| Italic | ||||
| Oscan: | petora | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| Latin: | quadra- | pfx | four (4) | W7 |
| quadraginta | nbr | forty (40) | W7 | |
| quadrans, quadrantis | n.masc | quadrant | W7 | |
| quadrō, quadrāre, quadrāvī, quadrātus | vb | to make square | W7 | |
| quadrum | n.neut | square | W7 | |
| quartanus | adj | of the fourth | W7 | |
| quartarius | adj | of a fourth | W7 | |
| quartus | adj/nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | W7 | |
| quaternarius | adj | in fourth position | W7 | |
| quaterni | adv | four each, set of four | W7 | |
| quattuor | nbr.card | four (4) | LRC | |
| tessera | n.fem | tessera, rectangular tablet | W7 | |
| tetra- | pfx | four | W7 | |
| Vulgar Latin: | exquadra | n.fem | square | W7 |
| exquadro, exquadrāre | vb | to make square | W7 | |
| exquadro, exquadrāre | vb | to square | W7 | |
| quadernum | n.neut | booklet | W7 | |
| quadrellum | n.neut | square | W7 | |
| Late Latin: | quaternio, quaternionis | n.masc | set of four | W7 |
| Old Spanish: | escuadra | n.fem | squad | W7 |
| Spanish: | cuarterón | adj | a fourth | W7 |
| cuarto | adj | fourth | W7 | |
| escuadra | n.fem | squad, squadron | W7 | |
| escuadrilla | n.fem.dim | squadron | W7 | |
| Old French: | quarantaine | n.fem | period of forty days | W7 |
| quarante | nbr | forty | W7 | |
| quare | n.fem | squared stone | W7 | |
| quarregnon | n.masc | carillon | W7 | |
| quarrel | n.masc | square-headed arrow, building stone | W7 | |
| quart, quarte | adj | fourth | W7 | |
| quartaine | n.fem | quartan fever | W7 | |
| quartier | n.masc | a fourth, quarter | W7 | |
| Middle French: | esquade | n.fem | squad | W7 |
| esquarre | n.fem | square | W7 | |
| quaer, caier | n.masc | four sheets of paper folded once | W7 | |
| quarantaine | n.fem | period of fourty days | W7 | |
| quarrel | n.masc | square of glass | W7 | |
| quarrière | n.fem | quarry | W7 | |
| quarte | n.fem | quart, fourth musical note | W7 | |
| quatrain | n.masc | quatrain | W7 | |
| quatre | nbr | four | W7 | |
| French: | cadre | n.masc | frame | W7 |
| cahier | n.masc | book, school-book | W7 | |
| carillon | n.masc | chime | R1/W7 | |
| carrer | vb | to make square | W7 | |
| caserne | n | quarters, barracks | LRC | |
| escadrille | n.fem | squadron | W7 | |
| quadrille | n.masc | type of dance | W7 | |
| quatrain | n.masc | quatrain | W7 | |
| trocart | n.masc | trocar | W7 | |
| Old Italian: | squadra | n.masc | square | W7 |
| squatrare | vb | to quarter | LRC | |
| Italian: | quadro | n.masc | picture, painting | W7 |
| quarantina | n.fem | set of forty | W7 | |
| squartare | vb | to quarter | LRC | |
| Baltic | ||||
| Old Prussian: | kettwirts | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE |
| Lithuanian: | keturì | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| ketverì | n | quartet | EIE | |
| ketvir̃as | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE | |
| Latvian: | cętur̃tais | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE |
| četri | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE | |
| Slavic | ||||
| Serbo-Croatian: | čardāk | n | watchtower | AHD |
| Old Church Slavonic: | četverĭ | n | quartet | EIE |
| četvrĭtŭ | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE | |
| četyre | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE | |
| Russian: | c̬etvërtyj | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE |
| Albanian | ||||
| Albanian: | katër | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| katërt | nbr.card | fourth (4th) | EIE | |
| Hellenic | ||||
| Mycenaean: | θε-το-ρο-πι | nbr.card | four (4) | LRC |
| Doric: | τέτορες | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| Boeotian: | πέτταρες | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| Lesbian: | πέσυρες | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| Ionic: | τέταρτος | nbr.ord | fourth | LRC |
| Homeric Greek: | τέσσαρες | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| Attic: | τέταρτος | nbr.ord | fourth | LRC |
| τέτταρες | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE | |
| Greek: | τεσσεράκοντα | nbr.card | forty (40) | GED |
| tetra- | pfx | four | W7 | |
| tetras, tetrados | n.fem | group of four | W7 | |
| τέτρατος | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE | |
| Armenian | ||||
| Armenian: | č'ork' | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE |
| Iranian | ||||
| Avestan: | čaθru- | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE |
| čaθwārō | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE | |
| Indic | ||||
| Sanskrit: | caturthá- | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE |
| catvā́ra, catúra- | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE | |
| Tocharian | ||||
| Tocharian B: | śtarte | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE |
| śtwer | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE | |
| Tocharian A: | śtärt | nbr.ord | fourth (4th) | EIE |
| śtwar | nbr.card | four (4) | EIE | |
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| adj | = | adjective |
| adv | = | adverb(ial) |
| card | = | cardinal |
| dim | = | diminutive |
| fem | = | feminine (gender) |
| masc | = | masculine (gender) |
| n | = | noun |
| nbr | = | number |
| neut | = | neuter (gender) |
| ord | = | ordinal |
| pfx | = | prefix |
| pl | = | plural (number) |
| prop | = | proper |
| vb | = | verb |
Key to information Source codes (always with 'LRC' as editor):
| Code | Citation | |
|---|---|---|
| AHD | = | Calvert Watkins: The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed. (2000) |
| ASD | = | Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller: An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898) |
| CDC | = | W.D. Whitney and B.E. Smith: The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia (1889-1911) |
| CGo | = | MacDonald Stearns, Jr: Crimean Gothic (1978) |
| EIE | = | J.P. Mallory and D.Q. Adams, eds. Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture (1997) |
| GED | = | Winfred P. Lehmann: A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (1986) |
| LRC | = | Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| R1 | = | Josette Rey-Debove and Alain Rey, eds. Le Nouveau Petit Robert (1993) |
| TLL | = | Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944) |
| W7 | = | Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963) |
| W9 | = | Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1983) |
