quincunx

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin quīncunx.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkwɪŋkʌŋks/
• IPA^(key): /ˈkwɪnkʌŋks/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌŋks

Noun

quincunx (plural quincunxes or quincunces)

1. An arrangement of five units with four forming the corners of a square and the fifth at the centre of the square, a pattern corresponding to the five-spot on dice, playing cards, or dominoes.
2. (astrology) An angle of five-twelfths of a circle, or 150°, between two objects. [from 1647]
3. A Galton board.
   • 1998, Deborah J. Bennett, Randomness, Harvard University Press, page 104:

     In 1873–74 Sir Francis Galton (Charles Darwin’s cousin) designed an apparatus that he later named the quincunx.

4. (historical, numismatics) A bronze coin minted during the Roman Republic, valued at five-twelfths of an as. [from 1545]

Derived terms

• quincuncial

Translations

arrangement of five units

• French: quinconce (fr) m
• German: Quinkunx (de) f
• Greek: αστεροπεντάδα f (asteropentáda)
• Italian: quinconce (it) m or f
• Khmer: ចតុរង្គ (km) (ca’to’ rʊəŋ)
• Portuguese: quina (pt) f
• Spanish: quincunce m

angle of five-twelfths of a circle

• German: Quinkunx (de)
• Spanish: quincuncio m

coin — see coin

Further reading

• quincunx on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Latin

Etymology

quīnque +‎ uncia, literally 'five twelfths' in reference to a coin issued by the Roman Republic c. 211–200 BC, featuring a 5-dot pattern. Its value was five twelfths (quinque and uncia) of an as, the Roman standard bronze coin.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈkʷiːn.kuːnks/, [ˈkʷiːŋkuːŋks̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈkwin.kunks/, [ˈkwiŋkuŋks]
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈkʷiːn.kunks/, [ˈkʷiːŋkʊŋks̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈkwin.kunks/, [ˈkwiŋkuŋks]

Because of Osthoff's Law, the length of the vowel in the second syllable is uncertain; see the note at uncia.

Noun

quīncū̆nx m (genitive quīncū̆ncis); third declension

1. five twelfths
2. the five on a die

Declension

Third-declension noun (i-stem).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	quīncū̆nx	quīncū̆ncēs
Genitive	quīncū̆ncis	quīncū̆ncium
Dative	quīncū̆ncī	quīncū̆ncibus
Accusative	quīncū̆ncem	quīncū̆ncēs quīncū̆ncīs
Ablative	quīncū̆nce	quīncū̆ncibus
Vocative	quīncū̆nx	quīncū̆ncēs

Descendants

• English: quincunx
• French: quinconce
• German: Quinkunx
• Spanish: quincunce

References

• “quincunx”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “quincunx”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• quincunx in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • 5 per cent: quincunx (Pers. 5. 149)
    
  • 5 per cent: quincunces usurae
    
• “quincunx”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “quincunx”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin