quarto
UK[ˈkwɔːtəʊ]US[ˈkwɔːrtoʊ]
n
a size of book page that results from folding a whole sheet into four leaves
n
a book composed of pages of this size
Morpheme Breakdown
quart
o
quart
four
o
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'quarto' has a direct lineage from latin, specifically from the phrase 'in quarto', meaning 'in fourth'. this refers to the bookmaking process where a standard sheet of paper is folded twice, creating four leaves or eight pages. the term was adopted into english in the late 16th century to denote both the page size and the books made in this format. its logic remains transparent, as the core morpheme 'quart-' continues to signify the number four, directly linking the ancient method of folding to the modern bibliographic term.
Analysis
Structure: quart (four) + o (noun suffix)
quart originates from latin 'quartus', meaning 'fourth'. the suffix -o is a common noun-forming suffix in english, often used to form words from italian, spanish, or latin.
Examples
the shakespeare first folio is famously preceded by earlier quarto editions of some plays.
the library's rare book collection includes several 17th-century quartos.
for this limited edition, the publisher chose to print in a handsome quarto format.