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) |