quincunx

quincunx . uncis, m. [quinque-uncia], five twelfths of a whole (of an as, a jugerum, a pound, a sextarius, etc.).

• I Lit.: si de quincunce remota est Uncia, quid superat? from five twelfths of an as, Hor. A. P. 327; so five twelfths of a jugerum, Col. 5, 1, 11; of a pound, id. 12, 28, 1; of a sextarius, five cyathi. Mart. 1, 28, 2; 2, 1, 9: quincunces et sex cyathos bessemque bibamus, id. 11, 36, 7.—Of five twelfths of an inheritance, Plin. Ep. 7, 11, 1.— Of interest, five per cent., Pers. 5, 149.— In apposition with usura: quincunces usuras spopondit, Dig. 46, 3, 102; Inscr. Giorn. Arcad. 28, p. 356.—
• II Transf., trees planted in the form of a quincunx (i.e. ⁙, the five spots on dice); also, trees planted in oblique lines, thus: ⁙ quid illo quincunce speciosius, qui in quamcumque partem spectaveris, rectus est? Quint. 8, 3, 9 Spald.: in quincuncem serere, Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 2; cf.: directi in quincuncem ordines, Cic. Sen. 17, 59: in quincuncem disposita, Col. 3, 13, 4; 3, 15, 1: obliquis ordinibus in quincuncem dispositis, Caes. B. G. 7, 73.

quīncūnx, ūncis, m. (quinque u. uncia), fünf Zwölftel (unciae) eines As, d.i. eines zwölfteiligen Ganzen (vgl. as), I) eig.: A) im allg., wie: ⁵/₁₂ der Erbschaft, Plin. ep. 7, 11 in. – B) insbes.: 1) als Münze, ⁵/₁₂ As = 5 unciae, Hor. de art. poët. 327. – 2) als Gewicht u. Maß, a) ⁵/₁₂ röm. Pfund, myrrhae, croci qu., Colum. 12, 20, 5: schoeni pondo qu., Colum. 12, 28, 1. – b) als Maß, α) v. Flüssigkeiten, eines sextarius, fünf Spitzgläser, Mart. 1, 27, 2 u.a. – β) als Ackermaß, ⁵/₁₂ eines Jucherts (Morgen Landes), Colum. 5, 1, 11. – 3) als Zinsfuß, ⁵/₁₂ von ¹²/₁₂ Prozent, fünf Prozent, Pers. 5, 139: in Apposition mit usurae, Scaev. dig. 46, 3, 102. § 3. Corp. inscr. Lat. 14, 353. – II) übtr., in Gestalt eines quincunx ⁙, eig. die fünf Augen auf der tessera, dem Würfel), also in schräger Linie gepflanzte Bäume, nach folgender Ordnung:

arbores in quincuncem serere, Varro: directi in quincuncem ordines, Cic.: obliquis ordinibus in quincuncem dispositis, Caes.: quid illo quincunce speciosius, Quint.

quincunx [CL] 1 five-twelfths of an as. b (as unit of measure) 5 ounces. semis ‥ ~x Thurkill Abac. f. 61v; de divisione assis ‥ dividitur in trientem et bissem ‥ dividitur in septuncem et ~cem Ib. f. 62.  b ~x sive cingus: v unciae Bede TR 4 p. 184. 2 (her.) quincunx. b (as quasi-adj.) of quincunx or that resembles quincunx. gestantur autem lilia et nonnulli flores alii quincunci ordine per aream totam dissipata, quod ideo ~cem appellamus vel divaricationem Spelman Asp. 139.  b ~ci ordine Spelman Asp. 139 (v. a supra).

quīncūnx, (14) uncis, m. , et qqf. adj. (quinque, uncia), ¶ 1 les cinq douzièmes dʼun tout ; cinq onces : Hor. P. 327 || cinq douzièmes du setier : Mart. 1, 27, 2 || les cinq douzièmes dʼun jugère : Col. Rust. 5, 1, 11 || [poids] cinq onces : Col. Rust. 12, 28, 1 || cinq douzièmes dʼun héritage : Plin. Min. Ep. 7, 11, 1 || intérêt à 5% : Pers. 5, 149 ¶ 2 quinconce : directi in quincuncem ordines Cic. CM 59, (arbres) plantés en quinconce, cf. Varro R. 1, 7, 2 ; Cæs. G. 7, 73, 5 ; Quint. 8, 3, 9.

*quincunx, uncis. m.
五兩。— usura 週年加利五分。Ordo in quincuncem 栽樹之次序。

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quīncunx uncis, m

• quinque + uncia, five twelfths(of any whole).—Esp., five twelfths of an as, five unciae: si de quincunce remota est Uncia, quid superat?H.—The figure formed by the four corners of a square and its middle point, a quincunx: directi in quincuncem ordines (of trees): obliquis ordinibus in quincuncem dispositis, Cs.

QUINCUNX

QUINCUNX[PONDERAVol. 2. p. 455.]

Quincunx

(1) A copper Roman coin weighing five ounces (quinque unciae), whence the name. It was marked by five balls (cf. the illustration under quadrans), and was valued at five-twelfths of an as. It is extremely rare, there being no specimens even in the British Museum.

(2) The name given to an arrangement of things by fives after the fashion of the points on a die, thus: ⁙

and to a series arranged in this way: ︙︰︙ ︙︰︙

It was a favourite method of arranging trees ( De Sen. 17). The French use the same word in the phrase en quinconce.