From German Quark ("curd cheese"), from Middle Low German quark ("curdled milk"), from Old High German twarc ("to twist, to knead"), from Proto-Germanic *twerkwaz, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *terkw- ("to turn, to twist").
Meaning:
A subatomic particle that is one of the fundamental building blocks of matter. Quarks are found in protons and neutrons, which make up the atomic nucleus.
Origin:
The term "quark" was first used in physics by Murray Gell-Mann in 1964. Gell-Mann borrowed the term from James Joyce's novel "Finnegans Wake," where it appears as "three quarks for Muster Mark."
Etymology for "Muster Mark":
The term "Muster Mark" in Joyce's novel is a reference to the Irish mythical figure Finn MacCumhail, or Finn McCool, also known as "Macumba," a giant who was known for his strength and prowess.
The word "Muster" could refer to a military muster, or a gathering of troops, possibly alluding to the quarks being the fundamental building blocks of matter.
The word "Mark" could refer to a unit of measure, possibly alluding to the minute size of quarks.
Thus, the term "quark" in physics has its origins in a literary reference to a mythical giant, with the implication that quarks are the fundamental building blocks of matter, similar to the giant being the building block of an army or a unit of measurement.
