quincunx

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin quīncunx.

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US):

  (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
• quincunxial

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)
• Polish: kwinkunks (pl) m inan
• Portuguese: quina (pt) f, quincunce m, quincôncio (pt) m
• Spanish: quincunce (es) m

angle of five-twelfths of a circle

• German: Quinkunx (de)
• Polish: kwinkunks (pl) m inan
• 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 Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkʷiːŋ.kuːŋks]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkʷiŋ.kuŋks]
• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkʷiːŋ.kʊŋks]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkʷiŋ.kuŋks]

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).

	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
• → Italian: quinconce
• → Spanish: quincunce
• → Portuguese: 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

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin quīncū̆nx.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkfiŋ.kuŋks/
• Rhymes: -iŋkuŋks
• Syllabification: quin‧cunx

Noun

quincunx m inan

1. alternative spelling of kwinkunks

Declension

Declension of quincunx

	singular	plural
nominative	quincunx	quincunksy
genitive	quincunksa	quincunksów
dative	quincunksowi	quincunksom
accusative	quincunx	quincunksy
instrumental	quincunksem	quincunksami
locative	quincunksie	quincunksach
vocative	quincunksie	quincunksy

Further reading

• “quincunx”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[2] (in Polish)