Definition of the word fourth

The word "fourth" is derived from the Old English word "foörð", which means "fourth part". The Old English word was formed by combining the words "fōur" (four) and "þæt‌" (that), which represented the addition of the suffix "-th" to indicate fourth in position or order. The Latin word for fourth, "quartus", also contributed to the formation of "fourth" as it has been heavily influenced by Latin in English vocabulary. "Quartus" itself comes from the root word "quartus" (meaning fourfold) combined with the suffix "-us" (indicating position). In Early Middle English, the word became "fourð", and later in Middle English, "fourthe". Finally, during the Renaissance, it was shortened to its current form, "fourth". Overall, the word "fourth" traces back to Indo-European times, with similar words existing in other languages, such as German "viertel", Dutch "vierde", and Swedish "fjärde", which all share the common root word "kwert-" in their etymology.