quaternity
- noun
- /kwəˈtɜrnɪti/
- Archaic
:
cuaternidad
- Blake's "slogan," as it were, is "Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love" -- a quaternity of values that corresponds with his "fourfold vision," rather than the tripartite slogans mentioned above, but to which they correspond in a certain way.
Examples
-
The double marriage indicates the wholeness of quaternity, another basic principle of the opus, and one that has been at work in the comedia through the image of the four elements and the four initial stages of the alchemical process.
Academic text (1992) -
Its symbols are symbols of centering and wholeness: the mandala, the quaternity, the cross in the circle, and so forth.
Academic text (1993) -
" Although the Trinity is dear to me, I believe in a Quaternity.
Blog text (25) -
These descriptions attune the reader/spectator to the presence of a quaternity of alchemical procedures in the play.
Academic text (1992) -
In some philosophies, the elements of earth, air, fire, and water represent a powerful quaternity.
-
The artist often depicts a quaternity of figures in her paintings, symbolizing balance and unity.
-
In ancient traditions, a quaternity was believed to signify completeness and harmony in nature.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A number equal to two plus two
∞
1.0
The number that comes after three and before five
21
3.2
A group of four people who meet or play together
15
3.3
A set of four people or things thought of as one unit
5
4.3
A group of four items or an amount four times as much
1
6.2
A group of four similar things treated as one
1
8.6
A group or set of four things
A group of four people or things
The number four
A set of four things or people seen as one group
A slang name for the number four in dice games like craps
How Many
Surface Forms
Morphology
quaternity = quaternary (semi-transparent) = quatern + ity
Formed from the adjective 'quaternary' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ity'; the meaning 'group of four' is regular but the Latin-derived stem is rare and not obvious to many learners.
Etymology
The word quaternity comes from the Latin word quattuor, meaning 'four', and you can see the same idea in English words like quartet and quarter. So, a quaternity is simply a set or group of four, which is why people use it for four-part groups or symbols that show wholeness with four parts.