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Origin and history of quire

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."

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.

Entries linking to quire

choir(n.)

c. 1300, queor "part of the church where the choir sings," from Old French cuer, quer "(architectural) choir of a church; chorus of singers" (13c., Modern French choeur), from Latin chorus "choir" (see chorus).

The meaning "band of singers" in English is from c. 1400, quyre. It was re-spelled mid-17c. in an attempt to match classical forms, but the pronunciation has not changed.

cahier(n.)

"exercise book; report of proceedings," c. 1845, "book of loose sheets tacked together," from French cahier "writing book, copy-book," originally a bookbinding term, from Old French cayer, originally quaier "sheet of paper folded in four," from Vulgar Latin *quaternus, from Latin quaterni "four each," from quater "four times" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four"). Compare quire (n.1).

*kwetwer-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "four."

It might form 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 might also be the source of: Sanskrit catvarah, Avestan čathwaro, Persian čatvar, Greek tessares, Latin quattuor, Oscan petora, Old Church Slavonic četyre, Lithuanian keturi, Old Irish cethir, Welsh pedwar.

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    mare
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    hold
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    early 12c., "knowledge, divine wisdom;" late 12c., "power of discernment, sound judgment; that which is reasonable," senses all now obsolete, from Old Norse skil "distinction, ability to make out, discernment, adjustment," which is related to skilja (v.) "to separate; discern, un
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    c. 1300, partie, "a part, division, section, portion," a sense now obsolete; also "physical piece, fragment; section of a book or treatise," from Old French partie "side, part; portion, share; separation, division" (12c.), literally "that which is divided," noun use of fem. past
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