quaternary
UK[kwəˈtɜːnəri]US[ˈkwɑːtərˌneri]
adj
Relating to or denoting the most recent period of the Cenozoic era, following the Tertiary period and comprising the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs.
adj
Fourth in order or rank; belonging to the fourth order.
n
The Quaternary period or system.
Morpheme Breakdown
quatern
ary
quatern
four
ary
relating to
Etymology
The word 'quaternary' has a direct lineage from the Latin numeral 'quattuor', meaning "four." The adjectival form 'quaternarius' meant "consisting of four," which passed into English via Middle French 'quaternaire'. In geology, its application to the fourth major period of the Cenozoic era followed the historical naming sequence of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. Thus, the term's logic is consistently numerical, evolving from a general descriptor for anything grouped in fours to a specific scientific term denoting the fourth and current geological period.
Analysis
Structure: quatern (four) + ary (relating to)
- quatern: From Latin 'quaternī' meaning "four each, by fours," related to 'quattuor' (four). It functions as the numerical root.
- ary: A suffix of Latin origin ('-ārius'), forming adjectives meaning "of, relating to, or connected with."
Examples
The Quaternary period is characterized by repeated glacial cycles.
In chemistry, a quaternary ammonium compound has a central nitrogen atom bonded to four organic groups.
The team proposed a quaternary structure for the protein complex.