Etymology dictionary

quiff (n.) — qwerty

quiff (n.)

"curl or lock of hair over the forehead," by 1890, originally a style among soldiers, a word of unknown origin. Perhaps connected with quiff "a puff or whiff of tobacco smoke" (1831, originally Southern U.S.), which is held to be a variant of whiff (n.).

quill (n.)

c. 1400, quil, "piece of reed, stalk of cane, hollow stem of a feather" (used as a tube to drain liquid), probably somehow related to Middle High German kil "quill," from Low German quiele, which is of unknown origin. Meaning "writing pen made from one of the larger feathers of a goose, swan, or other bird" is from 1550s; that of "porcupine spine" is from c. 1600. Quill-pen is attested by 1828, after steel pens or nibs came into use.

quillet (n.)

"a quibble, a nicety or subtlety," 1580s, obsolete, probably a corruption or contraction of Latin quidlibet "what you please," from quid "anything," neuter of indefinite pronoun quis "somebody, someone or other" (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns) + libet "it pleases" (from PIE root *leubh- "to care, desire, love").

quilt (n.)

c. 1300, "sack stuffed with wool, down, etc. used as a mattress," from Anglo-French quilte, Old French cuilte, coute, quilte "quilt, mattress" (12c.), from Latin culcita "mattress, bolster," a word of unknown etymology. The sense of "thick outer bed covering, cover or coverlet made by stitching together two thicknesses of fabric with some soft substance between them" is recorded by 1590s.

quilt (v.)

1550s, "to stuff or interline in the manner of a quilt; to stitch together in the manner of a quilt," from quilt (n.). Related: Quilted; quilting. Quilting bee, "a social gathering of women for the purpose of assisting one of their number in quilting a counterpane," usually followed by a supper or other entertainment, is attested from 1824, originally a New England custom (see bee).

quilter (n.)

"maker of quilts," late 13c. (late 12c. as a surname); agent noun from quilt (v.).

quim (n.)

slang for "female genitalia, vulva, vagina," 1735, perhaps 1610s, a word of unknown origin. Coarse and disparaging use for "females collectively" is from 1935.

quin (n.)

1935, originally in reference to the Dionne babies, short for quintuplet "one of five" (children born at one birth).

quinary (adj.)

"pertaining to the number five; divided in a set of five," c. 1600, from Latin quinarius "consisting of five, containing five," from quint "five each" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five"). Related: Quinarian.

quince (n.)

"the quince tree or its fruit," mid-14c., plural (construed as singular) of quoyn, coin (early 14c.), from Old French cooin (Modern French coing), from Vulgar Latin *codoneum, from Latin cotoneum mālum "quince fruit," probably a variant of cydonium malum (or a separate borrowing from the same source) from Greek kydōnion malon, which is traditionally "apple of Kydōnia" (modern Khania), a famous ancient seaport city on the north coast of Crete.

But Beekes says it is from "an older Anatolian word" and that connection with Kydōnia is Greek folk etymology. He also notes there was a Kytōnion on the Lydian border.

The plant is native to Persia, Anatolia, and Greece; the Greeks supposedly imported grafts for their native plants from a superior strain in Crete, hence the name. Kodu- also was the Lydian name for the fruit. Italian cotogno, German Quitte, etc. all are ultimately from the Greek word.

quincentenary

1868, "a 500th anniversary;" 1874 as an adjective, "relating to or consisting of 500 years," irregularly formed from Latin quinque "five" (see quinque-) + centenarius "consisting of a hundred" (see centenary). A better formation is quingenary, from Late Latin quingenarius "consisting of five hundred each," from quingeni, distributive of quingenti, quincenti "five hundred." Quingentenary (1872) also was tried.

quincunx (n.)

1640s, originally astrological, of planetary alignments at a distance of five signs from one another, from Latin, literally "five twelfths" (especially "five unciae," that is, "five-twelfths of an as," the basic unit of Roman currency), from quinque "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five") + uncia "ounce; a twelfth part (of anything)," related to unus "one" (from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique").

From 1650s as "arrangement of five objects in a square, one at each corner and one in the middle" (like the five pips on a playing card or spots on dice). Also applied, especially in garden design, to arrangements in two sets of oblique rows at right angles to one another (1660s), a sense also in the Latin word. Related: Quincuncial; quincuncially.

quinella (n.)

form of betting in which the bettor picks the first and second horses in a given race, 1942, American English, from American Spanish quiniela, originally a ball game with five players, from Latin quini "five each," from quinque "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five"). The sense evolution in Spanish was said to be from the game to a wager on the scores of the players, hence "any wager against the house."

quinine (n.)

vegetable alkaloid having curative properties, obtained from the bark of the cinchona tree, 1821, from French quinine (1820), with chemical ending -ine (2) + Spanish quina "cinchona bark" (from which it is extracted), from Quechua (Inca) kina. Earlier in reduplicated form quinaquina (1727).

quinoa (n.)

annual herb native to Peru, Chile, etc., much cultivated for its seeds, 1620s, from Spanish spelling of Quechua (Inca) kinua.

quinque-

before vowels quinqu-, word-forming element from classical Latin meaning "five, consisting of or having five," from Latin quinque "five" (by assimilation from PIE root *penkwe- "five").

quinquangular (adj.)

"having five angles," 1650s, from Late Latin quinquangulus "five-cornered," from quinque "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five") + angulus "angle" (see angle (n.)). Quinquangle (n.) "pentagon" is attested from 1660s.

quinquennial (adj.)

late 15c., quinqueniale, "lasting five years," from Latin quinquennalis "occurring once in five years, celebrated every fifth year," from quinquennis "of five years," from from quinque "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five"). With the ending perhaps influenced by Latin biennium etc.

Meaning "happening once every five years" is attested from c. 1600. In the inclusive reckoning that prevailed in the ancient world, the equivalent words meant "recurring every five years," reckoning both years of occurrence (by our uses, it would be "recurring every four years"), so that the Olympian games were, to the ancients, quinquennials.

As a noun, "a period of five years," from 1895; earlier quinquennal (1610s), quinquennium (1620s), and later quinquenniad (1842). The quinquennalia were Roman public games celebrated every fifth year.

quinsy (n.)

"severe sore throat, inflammation or swelling of the throat, extreme tonsillitis," late 14c., quinesie, qwinaci, from Old French quinancie, variant of esquinance (Modern French esquinacie) and from Anglo-Latin quinancia, from Late Latin cynanche, from Greek kynankhē "sore throat," also "dog collar," literally "dog-choking," from kyōn (genitive kynos) "dog" (from PIE root *kwon- "dog") + ankhein "to strangle" (from PIE root *angh- "tight, painfully constricted, painful").

The earlier form in English was squinancy (mid-13c.), from Medieval Latin squinancia and Anglo-French esquinauncy, esquinance. These, with the Modern French form and Spanish esquinancia, Italian schinanzia, etc., have an unetymological parasitic -s- (compare sbirro).

quint (n.)

mid-15c., quinte (late 13c. in Anglo-French), "a tax of one-fifth," from Old French quint, from Latin quintus "the fifth," ordinal to quinque "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five"). Used in English for "group or set of five" since 17c. First attested 1935 as a shortening of quintuplet (American English; British English prefers quin); used originally of the Dionne quintuplets, born May 28, 1934, near Callander, Ontario, Canada (compare quin).

quinta (n.)

"Spanish country house or villa," 1754, from Spanish and Portuguese quinta, originally a farm and house let out for a rent of one-fifth of its produce, from Latin quintus "one fifth," which is related to quinque "five" (see quinque-). Given various more specific senses in North and South America.

quintain (n.)

"target for tilting and jousting practice," c. 1400 (in Anglo-Latin from mid-13c.), from Old French quintaine or directly from Medieval Latin quintana; perhaps from Latin quintana "of the fifth" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five"), which as a noun meant "the business part of a camp," a street where the market and forum were located, on the supposition that this was where military exercises were done [OED].

quintal (n.)

"a unit of weight equal to a hundred pounds," c. 1400, quintale (mid-14c. in Anglo-French), from Old French quintal "hundredweight," and directly from Medieval Latin quintale, from Arabic quintar, from Late Greek kentenarion, from Latin centenarius "containing a hundred" (see centenary).

quintessence (n.)

early 15c., quint-essence, in ancient philosophy and medieval alchemy, "a pure essence latent in all things, and the substance of which the heavenly bodies are composed," literally "fifth essence," from Old French quinte essence (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin quinta essentia, from Latin quinta, fem. of quintus "fifth" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five") + essentia "being, essence," abstract noun formed (to translate Greek ousia "being, essence") from essent-, present-participle stem of esse "to be" (from PIE root *es- "to be").

The Latin term is a loan-translation of Greek pempte ousia, the "ether" that was added by Aristotle (perhaps following the Pythagoreans) to the four known elements (water, earth, fire, air) and said to permeate all things. It was naturally bright, incorruptible, and endowed with circular motion. Its extraction was one of the chief goals of alchemy.

The transferred or figurative sense of "purest essence" (of a situation, character, etc.), "an extract from anything containing in a small quantity its virtues or most essential part" is by 1560s.

quintessential (adj.)

c. 1600, "purest, most refined, consisting of or of the nature of quintessence," from quintessence (Medieval Latin quint essentia) + -al (1). Related: Quintessentially; quintessentialize.

quintet (n.)

1811, also quintette, "composition for five solo voices or instruments," from Italian quintetto, diminutive of quinto "fifth," from Latin quintus "the fifth," related to quinque "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five"). Earlier in English in the Italian form, quintetto (1792). Meaning "a company of five singers or players" is from 1882.

quintile (n.)

1610s, originally in astrology and said to have been introduced by Kepler, "aspect of planets when they are 72 degrees from each other" (a fifth of the zodiac), from Latin quintus "the fifth" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five") + ending from quartile. Its use in statistics in reference to a division data points into five parts of more or less equal size dates to 1951.

Quintilla

Roman fem. given name, fem. of Quintillus, diminutive of quintus "fifth" (related to quinque "five;" from PIE root *penkwe- "five"). The Quintillians were a Montanist sect, said to have been named for their prophetess Quintilla.

quintillion (n.)

1670s, from Latin quintus "the fifth" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five") + ending from million. Compare billion. In Great Britain, the fifth power of a million (1 followed by 30 zeroes); in U.S. the sixth power of a thousand (1 followed by 18 zeroes).

quintuple (adj.)

"fivefold, containing five times the number or amount," 1560s, from French quintuple (15c.), from Late Latin quintuplex, from Latin quintus "fifth" (related to quinque "five;" from PIE root *penkwe- "five") on model of quadruple. Alternative quintuplicate is attested from 1670s. Musical quintuple time has five beats to the measure.

quintuple (v.)

1630s, transitive, "to make fivefold," from quintuple (adj.) or from French quintupler (v.). The intransitive sense of "to increase fivefold, to become five times as many or as great" is by 1816. Related: Quintupled; quintupling. Quintuplication "act or process of repeating five times or increasing to the number of five" is by 1670s, as though from a verb *quintuplicate.

quintuplet (n.)

1873, "a set of five things" (originally in music), from quintuple (adj.) with ending from triplet. In plural, "five children born at one birth" it is recorded by 1889.

quinzane (n.)

also quinzaine, "group of fifteen; period of fifteen days," 1855, in a historical context, from French quinzaine "the number fifteen; a fortnight" (12c.), from quinze "fifteen," from Latin quindecim (see fifteen). In older use, "the fourteenth day after a feast day" (the fifteenth day by inclusive reckoning), mid-15c. French quinze also was the English name of a popular 18th century card game in which the winner was the first to get 15 points or closest to it without going over.

quip (v.)

1570s, "use quips; assail with clever, sarcastic remarks," from quip (n.). The sense of "to say or reply as a quip" is by 1950. Related: Quipped; quipping.

quip (n.)

"smart, sarcastic remark," 1530s, a variant of quippy in the same sense (1510s), perhaps from Latin quippe "indeed, of course, as you see, naturally, obviously" (used sarcastically), from quid "what" (neuter of pronoun quis "who," from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns) + emphatic particle -pe. Compare quibble (n.).

quipu (n.)

ancient Inca recording device using knotted cords, 1704, from Quechua (Inca) quipu "knot."

quire (n.2)

an early form and later variant spelling of choir (q.v.), Middle English, from Old French quer, queor, variants of cuer, and compare Medieval Latin quorus, variant of chorus.

quire (n.1)

c. 1200, quaier, "a short book;" mid-15c., "a set of four folded pages for a book; pamphlet consisting of a single quire," original senses now obsolete, from Anglo-French quier, Old French quaier, caier "sheet of paper folded in four" (Modern French cahier), from Medieval Latin quaternum, "set of four sheets of parchment or paper," from Vulgar Latin *quaternus, from Latin quaterni "four each," from quater "four times" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four").

Meaning "standard unit for selling paper" (lately typically 24 or 25 sheets, the twentieth part of a ream) is recorded from late 14c. In quires (mid-15c.) means "unbound."

Quirinal

royal palace in Rome, later the Italian presidential palace, 1838, from Mons Quirinalis in Rome (one of the seven hills, site of a former Papal palace), from Quirinus, said to be the divine name of Romulus, but rather one of the original trinity of Roman gods, assimilated to Mars. His feast (Quirinalia) was Feb. 17, the day Romulus was said to have been translated to heaven. Used metonymically for "the Italian civil government" (1917), especially as distinguished from the Vatican.

quirk (n.)

1560s, "a quibble, an artful evasion," a word of unknown origin, perhaps connected to German quer (see queer (adj.)) via the notion of twisting and slanting; but its earliest appearance in western England dialect seems to argue against this as its source. Perhaps originally a technical term for a twist or flourish in weaving. Sense of "peculiarity" is c. 1600.

quirky (adj.)

1806, "shifty, abounding in quirks, irregular," from quirk (n.) + -y (2). Sense of "idiosyncratic" is attested by 1960. In the older sense, quirkish is from 1670s. Related: Quirkily; quirkiness.

quirt (n.)

"short-handled braided leather riding whip" used in the Western U.S.,, 1845, from Mexican Spanish cuarta "rope," related to Spanish cuerda "rope," from Latin corda (see cord (n.)).

quisling (n.)

"national traitor," especially during World War II in Nazi-occupied countries, "collaborationist," 1940, from Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), Norwegian fascist politician who headed the puppet government during the German occupation of Norway in World War II; shot for treason after the German defeat. First used in London Times of April 15, 1940, in a Swedish context.

quit (v.)

c. 1200, quiten, "to repay, discharge" (a debt, claim, etc.), from Old French quiter "to clear, establish one's innocence;" also transitive, "release, let go; absolve, relinquish, abandon" (12c., Modern French quitter), from quite "free, clear, entire, at liberty; discharged; unmarried," from Medieval Latin quitus, quittus, from Latin quietus "free" (in Medieval Latin "free from war, debts, etc."), also "calm, resting" (from PIE root *kweie- "to rest, be quiet").

Meaning "to reward, give reward, repay" is from mid-13c., that of "take revenge; to answer, retort" and "to acquit oneself" are late 14c. From c. 1300 as "to acquit (of a charge), declare not guilty."

Sense of "to leave, depart from, go away from" is attested by late 14c.; that of "stop, cease" (doing something) is from 1640s. Meaning "to give up, relinquish" is from mid-15c. Related: Quitted; quitting. Quitting time "time at which work ends for the day" is from 1835.

quite (adv.)

c. 1300, "completely, altogether, entirely, wholly," adverbial form of Middle English quit, quite (adj.) "free, clear" (see quit (adj.)). Originally "thoroughly;" the weaker sense of "fairly" is attested from mid-19c. For quite a few, etc., see few (adj.). In Middle English the adverb also could be quitely, quitelich, quitli (c. 1300).

quit (adj.)

c. 1200, "excused, exempt, free, clear" (of debt, obligation, penalty, etc.), from Old French quite, quitte "free, clear, entire, at liberty; discharged; unmarried," and directly from Medieval Latin quitus, quittus, from Latin quietus "free" (in Medieval Latin "free from war, debts, etc."), also "calm, resting" (from PIE root *kweie- "to rest, be quiet").

From mid-13c. as "deprived of." From c. 1300 of real property, "exempt from taxes or other dues or claims."

quits (adj.)

"on even terms with one another," in to be quits (with one) "have made a mutual satisfaction of claims or demands," 1660s; earlier "discharged of a liability" (c. 1200), perhaps from Medieval Latin quittus (see quit (adj.)). An adjective used as a quasi-noun in plural form. Quit (adj.) "satisfied" is attested from c. 1400.

quitclaim (n.)

in law, "a relinquishing of a legal right or claim, a deed of release," c. 1300, from Anglo-French quiteclame; see quit (v.) + claim (n.). Compare Old French clamer quitte "to give up (a right)." Related: Quitclaimance.

quit-rent (n.)

early 15c., "rent paid by a tenant of a manor in exchange for being discharged from required service;" also, "nominal rent as acknowledgment of tenure," from quit (adj.) + rent (n.).

quittance (n.)

c. 1200, cwitance, quitaunce, "payment, compensation;" c. 1300, "a discharge from a debt or an obligation," from Old French quitance (Modern French quittance), from quiter "clear, establish one's innocence;" also transitive, "release, let go, relinquish, abandon" (12c.), from quite "free, clear, entire, at liberty; discharged; unmarried," from Medieval Latin quitus, quittus, from Latin quietus "free" (in Medieval Latin "free from war, debts, etc."), also "calm, resting" (from PIE root *kweie- "to rest, be quiet"). The Middle English word also is in part from Medieval Latin quittantia, a variant of quietantia.

quitter (n.)

as an insult, "one who shirks or gives up," by 1878, American English, in reference to race horses, agent noun from quit (v.) in the "stop, cease" sense. It is attested by 1871 as "one who gives up (chewing tobacco)."

quiver (n.)

"case for holding arrows," early 14c., from Anglo-French quiveir, Old French quivre, cuivre, probably of Germanic origin, from Proto-Germanic *kukur "container" (source also of Old High German kohhari, German Köcher, Old Saxon kokar, Old Frisian koker, Old English cocur "quiver"); "said to be from the language of the Huns" [Barnhart]. Related: Quiverful.

quiver (v.)

"to tremble, shake tremulously, shudder," late 15c., perhaps imitative, or possibly an alteration of quaveren (see quaver), or from quiver (adj.) "active, agile, lively, brisk" (mid-13c.), from Old English cwifer- (in cwiferlice "zealously"), which is perhaps related to cwic "alive" (see quick (adj.)). Compare Middle Dutch kuyveren "to tremble." Related: Quivered; quivering. As a noun, "act or state of quivering," by 1715, from the verb.

qui vive

1726, in on the qui vive "on the alert," from French être sur le qui vive "be on the alert," from the phrase qui voulez-vous qui vive? sentinel's challenge, "whom do you wish to live?" In other words "(long) live who?" meaning "whose side are you on?" (The answer might be Vive la France, Vive le roi, etc.). From qui (from Latin qui "who") + vive, third person singular present subjunctive of vivre, from Latin vivere "to live" (see viva).

quixotic (adj.)

of persons, "extravagantly chivalrous, absurdly romantic," abstractly, "striving for an unattainable or impractical ideal," 1791, from Don Quixote, the romantic, impractical hero of Cervantes' satirical novel "Don Quixote de la Mancha" (1605; in English translation by 1620). Don Quixote as the type of anyone attempting the impossible or holding visionary but impossible ideals is in English from 1670s.

His name literally means "thigh," also "a cuisse" (a piece of armor for the thigh), in Modern Spanish quijote, from Latin coxa "hip" (see coxa). Related: Quixotical; quixotically.

quiz (n.)

"brief examination by a teacher of a student or class on some subject," originally oral, 1852, colloquial, of uncertain origin.

Perhaps from quiz (v.), which might be from Latin. Or from slang quiz "odd person, person or thing deemed ridiculous" (1782, itself perhaps originally university slang), via the notion of "schoolboy prank or joke at the expense of a person deemed a quiz," a noun sense attested frequently 1840s, but quiz (n.) in the sense of "puzzling question, one designed to make one ridiculous" seems to not be attested before 1807. More than one etymological thread might be involved here. The word itself seems to have confused literary English from the beginning.

According to OED, the anecdote that credits this word to a bet by the Dublin theater-manager Daly or Daley that he could coin a word is regarded by authorities as "doubtful" and the first record of it appears to be in 1836 (in Smart's "Walker Remodelled"; the story is omitted in the edition of 1840). The medical school quiz class is attested from 1853. "The object of the Quiz will be to take the students over the ground of the different lectures in a thorough review, by a system of close questioning, so as to make them familiar with the subject-matter of the lectures to a degree not to be obtained in any other way" [Missouri Clinical Record, 1875].

quiz (v.)

"to question," 1847, quies, "examine a student orally," perhaps from Latin qui es? "who are you?," the first question in oral exams in Latin in old-time grammar schools.

The spelling quiz is recorded by 1886, though it was in use as a noun spelling from 1854, perhaps in this case from the slang word quiz "odd person" (1782, source of quizzical); an earlier verb from that sense was quizify "turn (someone) into a quiz" (1834). Also compare quiz (n.).

Quiz in the verbal sense of "make sport of by means of puzzling questions" is attested by 1796, from the noun, and compare quizzing glass "monocular eyeglass," attested by 1802, and quisby "queer, not quite right; bankrupt" (slang from 1807). Whether of separate origin or not, the verb and noun have grown together in English.

The sense of "scrutinize suspiciously" is by 1906. Quiz-master is by 1866 in the schoolroom sense; by 1949 in reference to a radio quiz show host. Also from the era of radio quiz shows comes quizzee (n.), 1940, and quiz-kid.

quizzical (adj.)

"queer, characteristic of a quiz; teasing, shy," 1789, from quiz (n.) "odd or eccentric person" (1782), a word of unknown origin, + -ical. Related: Quizzically; quizzicality.

quod (n.)

"prison," c. 1700, a cant slang word of unknown origin; perhaps a variant of quad in the "building quadrangle" sense.

quodlibet (n.)

"a nicety, subtlety," late 14c., "a question proposed in a university for disputation, on any academic topic," from Medieval Latin, literally "what you will, what you please," from quod "what," neuter of qui (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns) + libet "it pleases" (from PIE root *leubh- "to care, desire, love"). Sense evolution is via the notion of "a scholastic argumentation" upon a subject chosen at will (but usually theological). Related: Quodlibetarian; quodlibetic; quodlibetical.

quoin (n.)

1530s, in architecture and masonry, "cornerstone, external solid angle," a variant spelling of coin (n.); in early use also in other senses of that word, including "a wedge, wedge-like piece of stone, wood, etc."

quoit (n.)

late 14c., coyte (Anglo-French), "a flat stone thrown in a game," later also a ring of iron used the same way (15c.); a word of uncertain origin; probably from Old French coite "flat stone," which is perhaps literally "cushion," and a variant of coilte (see quilt (n.)).

Quoits were among the games prohibited by Edward III and Richard II to encourage archery. In reference to the tossing game played with iron rings, from mid-15c.

quoits (n.)

"game played by throwing quoits," late 14c., coytes; see quoit.

quondam (adj.)

"one-time, former, having been formerly," 1580s, from earlier use as an adverb ("formerly") and a noun ("former holder" of some office or position), both 1530s, from Latin quondam (adv.) "formerly, at some time, at one time; once in a while," from quom, cum "when, as" (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns) + demonstrative ending -dam. Related: Quondamship.

Quonset hut

1942, from Quonset Point Naval Air Station, Rhode Island, where this type of structure was first built, in 1941. The place name is from a southern New England Algonquian language and perhaps means "small, long place."

quorate (adj.)

of a meeting, "attended by a quorum," 1969, from quorum + -ate (1).

quorum (n.)

early 15c., in law, "the senior justices of the peace," whose presence was necessary to constitute a court, from Latin quorum "of whom," genitive plural (masc. and neuter; fem. quarum) of qui "who" (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns).

The traditional wording of the commission appointing justices of the peace translates as, "We have also assigned you, and every two or more of you (of whom [quoram vos] any one of you the aforesaid A, B, C, D, etc. we will shall be one) our justices to inquire the truth more fully." The justices so-named usually were called the justices of the quorum.

Meaning "fixed number of members of any constituted body whose presence at a particular meeting is necessary to transact business" is recorded by 1610s.

quote (n.)

"a quotation," 1885, from quote (v.). Earlier in a now-obsolete sense of "a marginal reference" (c. 1600). Quotes as short for quotation marks is by 1869.

quote (v.)

late 14c., coten, "to mark or annotate (a book) with chapter numbers or marginal references" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French coter and directly from Medieval Latin quotare "distinguish by numbers, mark off into chapters and verses," from Latin quotus "which in order? what number (in sequence)?," from quot "how many," from PIE *kwo-ti-, from pronominal root *kwo-.

The sense development is via "to give as a reference, to cite as an authority" (1570s) to "to copy out or repeat exact words" (1670s), in writing or printing, "inclose within quotation marks." In Middle English also "to compute, reckon." The modern spelling with qu- is attested from early 15c. The business sense of "to state the price of a commodity" (1866) revives the etymological meaning. Also see unquote. Related: Quoted; quoting.

quota (n.)

"a proportional part or share, the share or portion assigned to each," 1660s, from Medieval Latin quota, from Latin quota (pars) "how large (a part)," from quota, fem. singular of quotus "how many, of what number (in sequence);" see quote (v.). Earliest reference is to contributions of soldiers or supplies levied from a town or district; of immigrants or imports from 1921.

quotable (adj.)

"capable of or suitable for being quoted or cited," 1804, from quote (v.) + -able. Related: Quotably; quotableness; quotability.

quotation (n.)

mid-15c., "numbering," later (1530s) "marginal notation," noun of action from quote (v.) or else from Medieval Latin quotationem (nominative quotatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of quotare "to number."

Meaning "an act of quoting or citing" is from 1640s; that of "passage quoted, that which is repeated or cited as the utterance of another speaker or writer" is from 1680s. Meaning "the current price of commodities or stocks, as published," is by 1812. Quotation mark, one of the marks to denote the beginning and end of a quotation, is attested by 1777.

quoteworthy (adj.)

"suitable for or deserving of quotation," by 1836; see quote (v.) + worthy (adj.).

quoth (v.)

"to say, say as follows," from Middle English quoth, from Old English cweþ (Mercian), cwæþ (Northumbrian), third person singular past tense of cweoþan, cweoþa "to say, speak; name, call; declare, proclaim" (Middle English quethan), from Proto-Germanic *kwethanan (source also of Old Saxon quethan, Old Norse kveða, Old Frisian quetha, Old High German quedan, Gothic qiþan).

This is often traced to PIE root *gwet- "to say, speak," but Boutkan, on the grounds of formal objection to proposed cognates (Sanskrit gadati "speaks," Old Welsh guetid "say," Latin vetare "not allow"), has it as of "no (certain) IE etymology," and writes, "This is complicated."

Related to bequeath and bequest. Compare also archaic interjection quotha "forsooth, indeed," originally "said he," 1510s in sarcastic use, "originally a parenthetical phrase used in repeating the words of another with more or less contempt or disdain" [Century Dictionary], from Middle English, from Old English cwæðe ge.

quotidian (adj.)

mid-14c., coitidian, "daily, occurring or returning daily," from Old French cotidiien (Modern French quotidien), from Latin cottidianus, quotidianus "daily," from Latin quotus "how many? which in order or number?" (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns) + dies "day" (from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine").

The qu- spelling in English dates from 16c. Meaning "ordinary, commonplace, trivial" is from mid-15c. Quotidian fever "intermittent fever" is from late 14c. The noun meaning "something that returns or is expected every day" is from c. 1400, originally of fevers.

quotient (n.)

in mathematics, "the result of the process of division, quantity resulting from the division of one number by another, number of times one quantity is contained in another," mid-15c., quocient, from Latin quotiens "how often? how many times?; as often as," pronominal adverb of time, from quot "how many?" (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns). The Latin adverb quotiens was mistaken in Middle English for a present participle of quot in -ens.

quo warranto

mid-15c. (late 13c. in Anglo-French), "royal writ to determine by what warrant a person holds an office or franchise," a Medieval Latin legal phrase, literally "by what warrant," from quo "from, with, or by whom or what?," ablative of the interrogative pronoun quis "who?" (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns). Also see warrant (n.).

Quran (n.)

sacred book of Islam, 1876, variant spelling (preferred by scholars) of Koran (q.v.), from Arabic qur'an, literally "book, reading, recitation," from qara'a "to read." Related: Quranic.

q.v.

abbreviation of the Latin phrase quod vide "which see," placed after a dictionary entry, book title, etc., to refer the reader to it for further information. From neuter of qui "who" + imperative singular of videre "to see."

qwerty

in reference to a type of non-alphabetic keyboard or key arrangement, by 1925, from the first six keys on a standard typewriter keyboard read as though text from upper left.

Mechanical typewriters were patented from 1867; the QWERTY layout itself is said to date to 1887 and became dominant in U.S. from early 20c. It is meant not to slow typists, as sometimes is said, but to separate the letters in common digraphs (-sh-, -ck-, etc.) to reduce jamming of swing-arms in old-style machines. It actually speeds typing by requiring alternate-hand strokes, which is one reason the alternative DVORAK keyboard is not appreciably faster.

Remnants of the original alphabetic typewriter keyboard remain in the second row of letter keys: FGH-JKL. The French standard was AZERTY; in Germany, QWERTZ; in Italy, QZERTY. Compare etaoin shrdlu.