Where does “quarter-witted” come from?
quarter-witted (English) comes from English quarter, from Middle English quarter, from Anglo-Norman quarter, from Latin quartarius, from Latin quārtus, from Proto-Indo-European kʷeturtos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷetwóres, from Proto-Indo-European kʷe- — and.
quarter-witted (English): Having or displaying half the mental capacity of...
Definitions
- Having or displaying half the mental capacity of...
Ancestry of “quarter-witted”, step by step
quarter-witted traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English quarter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | quarter | "A fourth part of something."; "Place or... |
| 2 | Middle English | quarter | A quarter fourth part of something |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | quarter | — |
| 4 | Latin | quartarius | quartarius, a Roman unit of liquid measure equivalent to about 0.14 L |
| 5 | Latin | quārtus | fourth |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷeturtos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷetwóres | four |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷe- | and |