Quaternary

[cema]

noun: the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
adjective: coming next after the third and just before the fifth in position or time or degree or magnitude


They must be kidding me. Why not just say "four" and "fourth"?

Comments

Re: Why not just say "four" and "fourth"?

[ben-yakov.livejournal.com]

The French language usage commands to say "septentrionel" for "northern", though I doubt how many French would in fact do so.

Re: Why not just say "four" and "fourth"?

[(Anonymous)]

Why not just say "du Nord"?

[cema.livejournal.com]

Too simplistic, I gather...

[zhenyach.livejournal.com]

They have probably read too much Pratchett.

[cema.livejournal.com]

Speaking of which, would it be a good thing to read too much Pratchett?

[a7sharp9.livejournal.com]

"Then, shalt thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three."

Вспомнил перевод

[cema.livejournal.com]

И говорил Господь, и сказал Он: "Сначала следует тебе вынуть чеку святую. Затем следует сосчитать до трёх, не более и не менее. Три — число, до коего должен ты считать; и количество счёта твоего должно быть три. До четырёх не следует считать, а равно и до двух, кроме как ежели после двух последует три. Пять категорически исключается. И когда число три, будучи по счёту третьим числом, достигнуто будет, не сумняшеся метни Святую Гранату Антиохову во врага своего, который, будучи грешен передо Мною, ласты-то и склеит."

[(Anonymous)]

"The cardinal number that is the sum of three and one" is the definition of "four". What's your concern?

[a7sharp9.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily, strictly speaking. In the world of Peano axioms, 4 is the successor of 3. Addition is introduced later, and only then by definition x+1=x'.

[a7sharp9.livejournal.com]

So, in a sense the second definition (for adjective) is better.

[cema.livejournal.com]

Did they have to add the "just before the fifth" part?

[(Anonymous)]

I implied "the (dictionary) definition".

Indeed, Cema got confused by a "branch chasing" optimization that used to be rare in paper dictionaries for reasons of space scarcity, but this is no more an issue in the online case.

Having "foo: noun, see bar" is an online dictionary must not be tolarated anymore.

[email-animal.livejournal.com]

Aaah, but you missed the most important part:

phrases with quaternary: ... quaternary syphilis ...

It's not like you are going to replace it with the mundane "fourth syphilis"....

[cema.livejournal.com]

Well, that's from a different meaning, I think.

[i-s-d.livejournal.com]

it's like saying "olfactory" instead of "sense of smell". you would probably use olfactory when speaking with a higher intellecutal level individual (doctor, psychologist, etc.) and sense of smell in a more laid back conversation (mother to child, friend to friend, etc.).

[cema.livejournal.com]

This is slightly different, though. I would use the word "olfactory" instead of the expression "related to the (study of the) sense of smell", because it is less awkward, and not used in a laidback conversation simply because the word is not as well known and belongs to a different speech style. It can also be used in fixed or idiomatic expressions.

On the other hand, the word "quaternary" does have a meaning of "four" or "fourth", in addition to other meanings (also listed in the dictionaries). It's basically "four, pretense style", plus fixed expressions and perhaps idioms.

I would expect such subtle humor from a British publication, but I think onelook is American. :-)