quintessence etymology

Etymology:

• From Late Latin quintessentia ("fifth essence"), from Latin quinta essentia ("fifth essence"), from Greek πέμπτη οὐσία (pémptē ousía, "fifth essence").

Meaning:

• The purest, most concentrated, or most perfect form of something.
• The essence of something.

Origin:

The concept of a "fifth essence" originated in ancient Greek philosophy. In Aristotle's system, the four elements of earth, water, air, and fire were believed to make up all physical matter. However, there was thought to be a fifth element, more subtle and perfect than the other four. This fifth element was called the "quintessence" (or, in Latin, "quinta essentia"), and it was believed to form the heavenly bodies and the stars.

In medieval alchemy, the quintessence was considered to be the pure essence of a substance, which could be extracted through a process of distillation or sublimation. Alchemists believed that the quintessence possessed medicinal and spiritual properties.

In modern usage, "quintessence" is often used figuratively to refer to the most essential or characteristic aspect of something. For example, someone might say that "the quintessence of hiking is the feeling of being surrounded by nature."

quintessence relate terms

• quintessential

  Etymology Latin quintus fifth essentia being nature French quintessential

• quintessence

  Etymology From Late Latin quintessentia fifth essence from Latin quinta essentia

• absence

  Etymology From Old French absence from Latin absentia being away from absens aw

• absent

  Etymology The word absent originates from the Latin word absens which means being a

• Bodhisattva

  Etymology Sanskrit ब ध सत्त्व bodhisattva Meaning Bodhi m

• entity

  Etymology The word entity is derived from the Latin word entitas which means being

• essence

  Etymology Old French essence Medieval Latin essentia from Latin esse meaning to be

• essential

  Etymology Derived from the Latin words essentia essence and logos word discours

• essive

  Etymology The word obsessive derives from the Latin verb obsesus which means seized

• eucalyptus

  Etymology and Origin The word eucalyptus comes from the Greek words eu εὖ m

• Eucharist

  Etymology The word Eucharist is derived from the Greek word εὐχαριστία e

• Euclidean

  Etymology The word Euclidean is derived from the name of the ancient Greek mathematici

• Eudora

  Etymology Greek ευ eu meaning good or well Greek δωρον doron meani

• Eugene

  Etymology The name Eugene is derived from the Greek name Ευγένιος Eugenios wh

• eugenics

  Etymology Eugenics is derived from the Greek word eugenes meaning well born or o

• eulogy

  Etymology The word eulogy is derived from the Greek word εὐλογία eulogia w

• Eunice

  Etymology Greek Εὐνίκη Euníkē meaning victorious or well conquered M

• euphemism

  Etymology Euphemism derives from the Greek words eu good and phemi speak Mean

• euphoria

  Etymology Greek εὐφορία euphoria Literally meaning easy bearing Meaning

• euthanasia

  Etymology The term euthanasia comes from the Greek words eu εὖ meaning good

• homoiousian

  Etymology From Ancient Greek ὁμοιούσιος homoiousios meaning of like su

• improve

  Etymology Etymology pronounced ˌe tɪˈmɑːlə dʒi originates from two Greek roo

• interest

  Etymology and Meaning of Interest The word interest originates from the Old French te

• Parousia

  Etymology Greek παρουσία parousia meaning presence arrival or coming

• present

  Etymology Present derives from Old French present from Latin praesens being befor

• present

  Etymology Present derives from Old French present from Latin praesens being befor

• proud

  Etymology Old English prūd prūde Proto Germanic prūdiz Proto Indo European prew

• quintessence

  Etymology From Late Latin quintessentia fifth essence from Latin quinta essentia

• represent

  Etymology The word etymology comes from the Greek words etymon meaning true sense

• satyagraha

  Etymology Sanskrit Satya Truth Agraha Insistence firmness Meaning Satyagraha

• sooth

  Etymology Old English soð truth satisfaction Proto Germanic sunθaz truth real

• soothe

  Etymology Old English suðian to quiet to lull to sleep Proto Germanic suthjanan Pr

• suttee

  Etymology The word suttee comes from the Sanskrit word sati which means faithful wi

• swastika

  Etymology The word swastika is derived from Sanskrit and is composed of two parts Su

• cinquain

  Etymology Cinquain is derived from the French word cinquains which means composed

• cinque

  Etymology Cinque derives from the Old French word cinque which in turn originated fro

• cinquecento

  Etymology From Italian cinquecento 500 from Late Latin quingenti 500 from qui

• cinquefoil

  Etymology Cinquefoil is derived from the Latin words quinque five folium leaf

• fifteen

  Etymology Originating from Old English fiftiene inflected form of fif five and

• fifth

  Etymology Old English fīfta Proto Germanic fīfþō Proto Indo European pénkʷe M

• fifty

  Etymology The word fifty derives from the Old English word fiftig which is a compound

• finger

  Etymology The word finger is derived from several ancient Proto Indo European roots

• fist

  Etymology The word fist comes from the Old English word fyst which is related to th

• five

  Etymology is the study of the history of words their origins and how their form and mean

• foist

  Etymology The word foist comes from the Middle French word fouster which means to

• keno

  Etymology The word keno originates from the French word quine which refers to a lot

• parcheesi

  Etymology The name parcheesi comes from the Hindi word pachisi which means twenty f

• penta

  Etymology Greek penta five Meaning Prefix denoting five Origin The prefix

• pentacle

  Etymology Middle English pentacle from Old French pentaigle from Late Latin pentacul

• pentad

  Etymology Greek πεντάς pentas from πέντε pente meaning five Meanin

• Pentateuch

  Etymology The term Pentateuch is derived from two Greek words penta πεντα

• Pentecost

  Etymology Greek πεντηκοστή pentēkostē meaning fiftieth day Meanin

• pentagon

  Etymology The word pentagon originates from the Greek words penta meaning five a

• pentagram

  Etymology The word pentagram is derived from two Greek words penta πέντε mea

• pentameter

  Etymology Pentameter comes from the Greek words pente five and metron measure M

• pentathlon

  Etymology Greek penta five athlon contest Meaning A pentathlon is a sport

• Pompeii

  Etymology The name Pompeii is believed to have an Etruscan origin Meaning The exact

• Punjab

  Etymology and Meaning of Punjab The word Punjab is derived from the Persian words panj

• Punch

  Etymology The word punch has several origins Old Irish bun a drink Anglo India

• quinary

  Etymology The word quinary comes from the Latin word quinarius which means consisti

• quincunx

  Etymology Latin quincunx from quinque five uncia twelfth part ix adjectival suf

• quinella

  Etymology The word quinella is derived from the Italian word quina which means five

• quinque

  Etymology The word quinque originates from the Proto Indo European root kʷenkʷe m

• quinquennial

  Etymology Latin quinquennialis Proto Indo European kʷenkʷe five enn

• quint

  Etymology Latin quintus fifth Meaning The fifth in a series or sequence Ori

• quintain

  Etymology Old French quintaine Late Latin quintana a military exercise Latin quintus

• quintet

  Etymology From French quintette from Italian quintetto diminutive of quinto fifth

• quintile

  Etymology Quintile comes from the Latin word quintilis which means fifth Meaning

• quintessence

  Etymology From Late Latin quintessentia fifth essence from Latin quinta essentia

• quintillion

  Etymology Late Latin quintillio from quintus fifth suffix illion thousand From

• quintuple

  Etymology The word quintuple comes from the Latin word quintus meaning fifth The

• ether

  Etymology The word ether comes from the Ancient Greek word aither αἰθήρ whi

• pith

  Etymology Old English piða feminine ultimately from Proto Germanic piduz masc

• alchemy

  Etymology Alchemy comes from the Medieval Latin word alchemia which is derived from th

• essence

  Etymology Old French essence Medieval Latin essentia from Latin esse meaning to be

• recent

  Etymology The word etymology is derived from the Greek words etymon meaning true m

• center

  Etymology Old English center centre lt Middle English centre center lt Latin centr

• substance

  Etymology The word substance is derived from the Latin word substantia which means

• earth

  Etymology The word earth derives from the Old English word eorþe which itself is d

• heart

  Etymology The word heart comes from the Old English word heorte which is related to