cuartilla

English

Etymology

From Spanish cuartilla, from cuarto and cuarta (“fourth, quarter”) + -illa (“-elle: forming diminutives”), from Latin quartus (“fourth”). Doublet of cuartillo and quartilho.

Noun

cuartilla (plural cuartillas)

1. (historical) A traditional Spanish unit of dry measure, equivalent to about 13.9 L.
2. (historical) A former Mexican coin, equal to a quarter-real.

Synonyms

• half-cuarto, quarter-fanega, quarter-bushel (Spanish contexts)

Coordinate terms

• (unit of dry volume): cuartillo (¹⁄₁₂ cuartilla), medio (¹⁄₆ cuartilla), celemin (¹⁄₃ cuartilla), cuarto (2 cuartillas), fanega (4 cuartillas), saco (8 cuartillas), carga (16 cuartillas), cahiz (48 cuartillas)
• (former Mexican coin): real (4 cuartillas), peso (32 cuartillas)

Spanish

Etymology

From cuarto and cuarta (“fourth, quarter”) +‎ -illa (“-elle: forming diminutives”), from Latin quartus (“fourth”). Doublet of cuartillo.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /kwaɾˈtiʝa/ [kwaɾˈt̪i.ʝa]

• IPA^(key): /kwaɾˈtiʝa/ [kwaɾˈt̪i.ʝa] (Spain, most of Latin America, Equatorial Guinea)
• IPA^(key): /kwaɾˈtiʎa/ [kwaɾˈt̪i.ʎa] (rustic northern Spain, northern and central Andes Mountains (except central Ecuador), Bolivia, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, Philippines)
• IPA^(key): /kwaɾˈtiʃa/ [kwaɾˈt̪i.ʃa] (Buenos Aires and environs)
• IPA^(key): /kwaɾˈtiʒa/ [kwaɾˈt̪i.ʒa] (central Ecuador, Santiago del Estero and environs, elsewhere in Pampas and southern Argentina, Uruguay)
• IPA^(key): /kwaɾˈtia/ [kwaɾˈt̪i.a] (northern Mexico, Yucatán, Central America (except Panama))

 

• Rhymes: -iʝa

• Rhymes: -iʝa (Spain, most of Latin America, Equatorial Guinea)
• Rhymes: -iʎa (rustic northern Spain, northern and central Andes Mountains (except central Ecuador), Bolivia, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -iʃa (Buenos Aires and environs)
• Rhymes: -iʒa (central Ecuador, Santiago del Estero and environs, elsewhere in Pampas and southern Argentina, Uruguay)
• Rhymes: -ia (northern Mexico, Yucatán, Central America (except Panama))

• Syllabification: cuar‧ti‧lla

Noun

cuartilla f (plural cuartillas)

1. A5 (a paper size)
2. (historical) cuartilla, half-cuarto, quarter-fanega (a traditional unit of dry measure, equivalent to about 13.9 L)
3. (historical) cuartilla, quarter-real (a former Mexican coin)
4. pastern (of a horse)

Coordinate terms

• (unit of dry volume): cuartillo (¹⁄₁₂ cuartilla), medio (¹⁄₆ cuartilla), celemín (¹⁄₃ cuartilla), cuarto (2 cuartillas), fanega (4 cuartillas), saco (8 cuartillas), carga (16 cuartillas), cahíz (48 cuartillas)

Descendants

• → English: cuartilla

Further reading

• “cuartilla”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), 24th edition, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 30 October 2026