quadriliteral (adj.)

"consisting of four letters;" also, of Semitic roots, "consisting of four consonants," 1771, from quadri- "four" + literal.

Entries linking to quadriliteral

quadri-

before vowels quad- (before -p- often quadru-, from an older form in Latin), word-forming element used in compounds of Latin origin and meaning "four, four times, having four, consisting of four," from Latin quadri-, which is related to quattor "four" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four").

literal (adj.)

late 14c., "taking words in their natural meaning" (originally in reference to Scripture and opposed to mystical or allegorical), from Late Latin literalis/litteralis "of or belonging to letters or writing," from Latin litera/littera "letter, alphabetic sign; literature, books" (see letter (n.1)). Related: Literalness.

Meaning "of or pertaining to alphabetic letters" is from late 14c. Meaning "concerned with letters and learning, learned, scholarly" is from mid-15c. Sense of "verbally exact, according to the letter of verbal expression" is attested from 1590s, as is application to the primary sense of a word or passage. Literal-minded is attested from 1791.

*kwetwer-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "four."

It forms all or part of: cadre; cahier; carillon; carrefour; catty-cornered; diatessaron; escadrille; farthing; firkin; fortnight; forty; four; fourteen; fourth; quadrant; quadraphonic; quadratic; quadri-; quadrilateral; quadriliteral; quadrille; quadriplegia; quadrivium; quadroon; quadru-; quadruped; quadruple; quadruplicate; quarantine; quarrel (n.2) "square-headed bolt for a crossbow;" quarry (n.2) "open place where rocks are excavated;" quart; quarter; quarterback; quartermaster; quarters; quartet; quarto; quaternary; quatrain; quattrocento; quire (n.1) "set of four folded pages for a book;" squad; square; tessellated; tetra-; tetracycline; tetrad; tetragrammaton; tetrameter; tetrarch; trapezium.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit catvarah, Avestan čathwaro, Persian čatvar, Greek tessares, Latin quattuor, Oscan petora, Old Church Slavonic četyre, Lithuanian keturi, Old Irish cethir, Welsh pedwar.

Others are reading

Share quadriliteral

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/quadriliteral

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/quadriliteral">Etymology of quadriliteral by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of quadriliteral. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/quadriliteral

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of quadriliteral,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/quadriliteral.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of quadriliteral.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/quadriliteral. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of quadriliteral.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/quadriliteral (accessed $(datetime)).

Dictionary entries near quadriliteral

quadricipital

quadricorn

quadrifid

quadrifoliate

quadrilateral

quadriliteral

quadrille

quadrillion

quadripartite

quadriplegia

quadriplegic