QUA
( 913 )
QUA
a
QA Confonant, and the fixteenth Letter of the Alphabet. See Letter, and Alphabet. J The J^has this peculiar to it, that 'tis always follow *d by an U. See U.
The Q^ is form'd from the Hebrew p, Koph; which moft other Languages have borrow'd ; tho' fome of them have rejected it again, particularly the Greeks, who now only retain it as a Numeral Character.
In effect, there is that refemblance between the Q^ and C, in fome Languages, and K in others ; that many Gram- marians, in imitation of the Greeks, banifh the ^_as a fuperfluous Letter.
Capias even affirms, that all theZatin Words now wrote with a Q, were wrote among the antient Romans with a C: But we want better Authorities. For tho' that may hold in many cafes, infomuch that we flill write indiffe- rently quur or air, cum or quum, quotidie or cotidie, $$c. Xet does it not thence thence follow, that they wrote cis, . c&, cid ; for quis, qu<s, quid—*— — What Infcriptions autho- rize fuch a reading ?
Fat from this the Antients fometimes fubftituted j^for C; and wrote quojus, qlios, for cujus, cus, &c.
Vtrro, however, and fome other Grammarians, as we are told by Cenforinus, &c. would never ufe the jp. The truth is, its Ufe or Difufe fecms to have been fo little fet- tled and agreed on, that the Poets ufed the Q^ or C indiffe- rently, as beft fuited their Meafures ; it being a Rule, that the Q joined the two following Vowels into one Sylla- ble 5 and that the C imported them to be divided.
Hence it is, that Lucretius ufes cuiret for three Sylla- bles, in lieu of quiret ; acud for a$ua$ and that tplautus Ufes relictmm for reliquum j as in quod dedi datum non vel- lem relicuum non ; where the cuum muft be two Syllables, otherwife the 'Trochaic Verfe will be lame of a Foot.
In the French, the Sound of the ^and K are fo near a- kin, that fome of their niceft Authors think the former
might be fpared Ramus adds, that till the Eftabliih-
ment of Royal Profeffors in the Univerfity of 'Paris under Francis T. they always ufed Q_in the Latin the fame as in the French ; pronouncing Ids, kalis, kantus, &c. for quis, qualis, quantus, £5c.
Some very learned Men make «^J_a double Letter, as well as K and X - "According to them, Q^ is evidently a Cand U joined together- — 'Tis hot enough that the Sound is the fames but they fee the Traces of the CW'm the Fi- gure of the Qj, the Kbeing only laid obliquely < t fo as to come within the Cavity of the 67.
To confirm this, they fay the Antients wrote qi t q<e, qid. Tho* Jof Scaliger, Littleton, &c. think this no Proof of the Point ; for in Gruter's Infcriptions, we find not only the <i^, but alfo the C, put for QUb as C'nitus, Qiiintus, Jicis for fiqtiis, &c. "Yet no body ever imagin'd the C a double Letter.
j^among the Antients, was a Numeral Letter, fignify- ing 500 j as in the Verfe,
Q^velutAcum 2) quingentos vult numerare.
A Dafh over it, as Q, denoted it to fignify five hundred thoufand. See A.
i^JJs alfo ufed as an Abbreviature in feveral Arts
In Phyfician's Bills, Q. Tl. ftands for quantum placet, or
quantum vis, as much as you pleafe of a thing ; q.f for quantum fitfficit, or as much as is neceffary.
Among Mathematicians, Q^JE.Z). fignifies quoderat de- mon fir an dum, which was to be demonftrated - J^, E. F.
quod erat faciendum, which was to be done.
Qj*D. is alfo frequently ufed among Grammarians, &G. for quafi di£lu?n, as if it were faid, &c.
QUACK, in Medicine. See Empiric.
QUADRA, in Building, any fquare Border, or Frame, incompaffina a Baffo- Relievo, Pannel, Painter's or other Work;
The Word is alfo ufed abufively for a Frame or Border of another Form ; as Round, Oval, or the like.
QUADRAGESIMA, a Term fometimes ufed for the Time of Lent j becaufe confifting of forty Days. See Lent.
Hence, Tome Monks are faid to lead a Quadragejimal Life ; or to live on Quadragefimal Food all the Year.
Quadragesima Sunday, is the firft Sunday in Lent? fo call'd, becaufe it is about the fortieth Day before Mafter. See Easter.
On the fame account, the three preceding Sundays, are call'd Quinquagefuna, Sexagefima, and Seftuagejima. Sec
QuiNQUAGESIMA, &C.
QUADRAGESIMALS, denote Mid-Lent Contributions, or Offerings. See Offering, Oblation, &c.
It was an antient Cuttom for People to vifit their Mother- Church on Mid-Lent Sunday, and to make their Offerings at the High Altar: and the like was alfo done in Whitfun- Week But as thefe latter Oblations, l3c. were fome- times commuted for by a Payment of TenticoftaU, or
Whitftm-Farthings : See Fenticostals So were the
former alfo changed into a cuftomary Payment, called Quadragefwtals ; Denarii Quadragefimales '■, and fometimes Ltftare Jerufalem, from a Hymn fo call'd, fung on that day; beginning, ferufalem Mater omnium, &c.
QUADRANGLE, in Geometry, a Quadrangular, or Quadrilateral Figure; or a Figure which has four Sides, or four Angles. See Figure and Quadrilateral.
To the Clafs of Quadrangles, or Quadrangular Figures^ belong the Square, Parallelogram, trapezium, RhombiLS, and Rhomboides. See Squar e, Parallelogram, Rhom- bus, &G.
A Square, &c. is a regular Quadrangle — a Trapezium an irregular one.
Quadrangular Figures are not proper for Fortification 5 the Flanks and flank'd Angles being too fmall. See Bas- tion.
QUADRANS, in Antiquity. See As.
QuAdrans, in our Cuftoms, is the fourth part of a Penny ; or a Farthing, See Penny and Farthing.
QUADRANT, Qoadrans, in Geometry, an Arch of a Circle, containing 90 Degrees, or one fourth of the entire Periphery. See Arch and Circle : See alfo Degree.
Sometimes, alfo, the Space or Area included between this Arch and two Radii, drawn from the Center to each Extremity thereof, is call'd a Quadrant, or more properly Quadrant al Space ; as being a quarter of the entire Circle. See Sector.
Quadrant, is alfo a Mathematical Inftrument, of great ufe in Navigation and Aftronomy ; for the taking of Altitudes, &c. See Altitude.
The Quadrant is varioufly contrived, and furnifhed with various Apparatus, according to the various Ufes it is in- tended for; but they all have this in common, that they confift of a Quadrant, or quarter of a Circle, whofe Limb is divided into 90 Degrees ; that they have a Plummet fuf- pended from the Centre, and are furniih'd with Timiulfi^ or Sights.
The principal, moft ufual, and moft ufeful Quadrants, are, the Common or Surveying Quadrant, the Agronomical Quadrant, the Horoditlical Qiiadrant, Guntefs Quadrant ', Suttoji's or 67o///7;i's Quadrant, and the Sinecal Quadrant.
The Common or Surveying Quadrant (reprefented Tab. Surveying, fig. 30.) is made of Brafs, Wood, or other
Matter; ufually 12 or 15 Inches Radius -^Its Circular
Limb is divided into oo , and each of thofe fubdivided into as many equal Parts as the Space will allow ; either diago- nally, or otherwife On one Edge, or Semidiameter,
are fixed two immoveable Sights; and in the Angle, or Centre, is hung a Thread with a Plummet.
To the Centre is likewife, fometimes, fixed a Label or moveable Index, bearing two other Sights like the Index of a Telefcope— — — And in lieu of the immoveable Sights, is fometimes fitted a Telefcope ; tho' this more properly belongs to the Agronomical Quadrant.
On the under fide, or face of the Inflrument, is fitted a Ball, and Socket 5 by means whereof, it may be put in any pofition for ufe.
Befides the Effentials of the Quadrant, there is frequent- ly added on the face near the Centre, a kind of Comparti- ment, call'd the Quadrat, or Geometrical Square j as in the Figure This, in fome meafure, making a diftinct Inflru- ment of itfelf 5 fee its Defcription and Ufe under the Article Quadrat.
The Quadrant is to be ufed in different Situations, ac- cording to the Dimenfions to be taken -To obferve
Heights and Depths, its Plane is difpofed at right Angles to the Horizon : To take horizontal Diftances, the Plane is difpofed parallel thereto.
Heights and Diftances, again, may be taken two way* $ viz. by means of the fixed Sights and Plummet, and by the Label.
Ufe
