different between quintessence vs quiddity

English

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Middle French, from Medieval Latin quinta essentia (“fifth essence, aether”). "Essence" in this context is a synonym for "element". In pre-atomic/Aristotlean theory, there are four known elements or essences — Earth, Air, Fire and Water — and a putative fifth element (aether), which is considered to be of exceptional superior quality to the other four basic elements.

Pronunciation

• enPR: kw?n-t?s?-?ns, kw?n-t?s?-?ns, IPA^(key): /kw?n.?t?s.?ns/, /kw?n.?t?s.?ns/

Noun

quintessence (countable and uncountable, plural quintessences)

1. A thing that is the most perfect example of its type; the most perfect embodiment of something; epitome, prototype.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:model

   • 1837 Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History

     As families and kindreds sometimes do; producing, after long ages of unnoted notability, some living quintescence of all the qualities they had, to flame forth as a man world-noted[.]

2. A pure substance.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:non-mixture

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

3. The essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:gist
4. (alchemy) The fifth alchemical element, or essence, after earth, air, fire, and water that fills the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere.

   Synonym: aether

5. (physics) A hypothetical form of dark energy postulated to explain observations of an accelerating universe.

Derived terms

• quintessential
• quintessentially

Translations

Verb

quintessence (third-person singular simple present quintessences, present participle quintessencing, simple past and past participle quintessenced)

1. (transitive) To reduce to its purest and most concentrated essence.

References

• quintessence in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “quintessence”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• “quintessence” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.t?.s??s/

Noun

quintessence f (plural quintessences)

1. quintessence (all senses)

English

Etymology

From Middle French quiddité, and its source, Late Latin quidditas, from Latin quid + -itas.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?kw?d?ti/

Noun

quiddity (plural quiddities)

1. (philosophy) The essence or inherent nature of a person or thing.
   • 1822, October, Charles Lamb, The Old Actors, published in London Magazine, section on “Mr. Munden” (ebook):

     A tub of butter, contemplated by him, amounts to a Platonic idea. He understands a leg of mutton in its quiddity. He stands wondering, amid the commonplace materials of life, like primæval man, with the sun and stars about him.

   • 1962, Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire:

     My vision reeked with truth. It had the tone,

     The quiddity and quaintness of its own

     Reality.

   • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 352:

     He represented my quiddity I suppose – the part which, thanks to you, has converted a black pessimism about life into a belief in cosmic absurdity.

2. (law) A trifle; a nicety or quibble.
3. An eccentricity; an odd feature.

Synonyms

• (essence): nature, quintessence, whatness; See also Thesaurus:essence

Coordinate terms

• (essence): quality
• quoddity

Derived terms

• quidditative

Translations

See also

• quiddity at OneLook Dictionary Search