LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

quadrivium

quadrivium n (genitive quadriviī or quadrivī)
Classical[kʷaˈdrɪ.wi.ũː]Ecclesiastical[kʷaˈdriː.vi.um]
quadrivia pl. nom.; pl. acc.; pl. voc.

Meaning

  1. neutera crossroads; place where four ways meet.
  2. Medieval Latinneuterthe quadrivium (the four mathematical liberal arts)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativequadriviumquadrivia
genitivequadriviī
quadrivī		quadriviōrum
dativequadriviōquadriviīs
accusativequadriviumquadrivia
ablativequadriviōquadriviīs
vocativequadriviumquadrivia

quā^drĭvĭum, ii, n. quattuor-via.
I. Lit., a place where four ways meet, a crossway, cross-road: in quadriviis et angiportis, Cat. 58, 4; so Juv. 1, 63: DII, the tutelar gods of cross-roads, Inscr. Grut. 84, 5; 1015, 1; Inscr. Rein. col. 1, n. 14.—
II. Transf., the assemblage of the four mathematical sciences (arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy), Boëth. Arithmet. 1, 1.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷetwṓr
  2. Proto-Italic*kʷettwōr
  3. Latinquadrivium

Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- Proto-Italic *wiā Latin via Latin quadrivium From quattuor (“four”) + via (“road, path”).

Borrowings
  • Englishquadrivium
  • Frenchquadrivium
  • GermanQuadrivium
  • Italianquadrivio
  • Romaniancvadrivium
  • Romanianquadrivium
  • Polishquadrivium
  • Polishkwadrywium
Elsewhere
  • Italiancarruggiofrom Vulgar Latin *quadruvium
  • Italiancarrobbiofrom Vulgar Latin *quadruvium
  • FrenchCarougefrom Vulgar Latin *quadruvium
  • FrenchCarrougefrom Vulgar Latin *quadruvium
  • Corsicancarrughjufrom Vulgar Latin *quadruvium
  • Siciliancarruggiufrom Vulgar Latin *quadruvium
  • Siciliancarrujufrom Vulgar Latin *quadruvium

Quick answers

What does quadrivium mean in Latin?
quadrivium, a noun, means “a crossroads; place where four ways meet.; the quadrivium (the four mathematical liberal arts)”.
What is the genitive of quadrivium?
The genitive singular is quadriviī. quadrivium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce quadrivium?
In classical Latin, [kʷaˈdrɪ.wi.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [kʷaˈdriː.vi.um].
Where does quadrivium come from?
Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr → Proto-Italic *kʷettwōr → Latin quadrivium.