quadrupes

Latin

Alternative forms

• quadripēs

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóresder.

Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwr̥-

Proto-Italic *kʷetru-

Proto-Indo-European *ped-

Proto-Indo-European *-s

Proto-Indo-European *pṓds

Proto-Italic *pets

Proto-Italic *kʷetrupōts

Latin quadrupēs

Inherited from Proto-Italic *kʷetrupōts. By surface analysis, quadru- (“four”) + pēs (“foot”). Cognate with Ancient Greek τετράπους (tetrápous), Sanskrit चतुष्पद् (cátuṣpad).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkʷa.drʊ.peːs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkʷaː.dru.pes]

Adjective

quadrupēs (genitive quadrupedis); third-declension one-termination adjective

1. galloping
2. moving on all fours
3. four-legged, quadrupedal
   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 41.9.5:

     Priusquam consules prouincias sortirentur, prodigia nuntiata sunt: lapidem in agro Crustumino in lucum Martis de caelo cecidisse; puerum trunci corporis in agro Romano natum et quadrupedem anguem visum

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Third-declension one-termination adjective.

	singular			plural
	masc./fem.	neuter		masc./fem.	neuter
nominative	quadrupēs			quadrupedēs	quadrupedia
genitive	quadrupedis			quadrupedium
dative	quadrupedī			quadrupedibus
accusative	quadrupedem	quadrupēs		quadrupedīs quadrupedēs	quadrupedia
ablative	quadrupedī quadrupede			quadrupedibus
vocative	quadrupēs			quadrupedēs	quadrupedia

Descendants

• → Catalan: quadrúpede (learned)
• → English: quadruped
• → French: quadrupède (learned)

Noun

quadrupēs m or f or n (genitive quadrupedis); third declension

1. a quadruped
   • 46 BCE, Cicero, Paradoxa Stoicorum 14:

     Atque haec quidem quae modo huc modo illuc transferuntur facile adduci solent ut in rebus bonis esse negent, illud arte tenent accurateque defendunt, voluptatem esse summum bonum. Quae quidem mihi vox pecudum videtur esse, non hominum. Tu, cum tibi sive deus sive mater ut ita dicam rerum omnium natura dederit animum quo nihil est praestantius neque divinius, sic te ipse abicies atque prosternes ut nihil inter te atque quadrupedem aliquam putes interesse?

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 4 CE – c. 70 CE, Columella, De re rustica 7.5.22:

     Castrationis autem ratio iam tradita est, neque enim alia in agnis quam in maiore quadripede servatur.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 4 CE – c. 70 CE, Columella, De re rustica 11.2.14:

     His etiam diebus maturi agni et reliqui fetus pecudum, nec minus maiora quadrupedia charactere signari debent.

     • 1955 translation by E. S. Forster, Edward H. Heffner

       In these days, too, early lambs and the other young of cattle and the larger four-footed beasts also ought to be marked with the branding-iron.

   • 4 CE – c. 70 CE, Columella, De re rustica 11.2.33:

     Quin etiam pecus lanatum ceteraque quadripedia tempus idoneum est castrandi.

     • 1955 translation by E. S. Forster, Edward H. Heffner

       It is also a suitable time for castrating woolly cattle and the other four-footed beasts.

Usage notes

• As a noun, it can be masculine, feminine (agreeing with bēstia or pecus/pecudis) or neuter (agreeing with animal).
• The non-neuter declension is usually non-i-stem, while the neuter declension is usually pure neuter i-stem, but usage was somewhat fluid.
• It appears to be slightly more likely to have the meaning "beast of burden" when masculine.

Declension

masculine/feminine	neuter
Third-declension noun (imparisyllabic non-i-stem or i-stem, ablative singular in -e or -ī). singular plural nominative quadrupēs quadrupedēs genitive quadrupedis quadrupedum quadrupedium dative quadrupedī quadrupedibus accusative quadrupedem quadrupedēs quadrupedīs ablative quadrupede quadrupedī quadrupedibus vocative quadrupēs quadrupedēs	Third-declension noun (neuter; pure i-stem or imparisyllabic non-i-stem). singular plural nominative quadrupēs quadrupedia quadrupeda genitive quadrupedis quadrupedium quadrupedum dative quadrupedī quadrupedibus accusative quadrupēs quadrupedia quadrupeda ablative quadrupedī quadrupede quadrupedibus vocative quadrupēs quadrupedia quadrupeda

References

• “quadrupes”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “quadrupes”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “quadrupes”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “quadrupes”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin