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Quarter

Heraldic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

In heraldry, one of four equal divisions of a shield, often bearing distinct symbols; referenced in poetry for emblematic or genealogical imagery.

Detailed Definition
Quarters represent familial inheritance or territorial claims. In poetry, they emphasize divided loyalties, heritage complexities, or narrative segments.
Example
Example in poetry:
To quarter the shield was to weave four stories into one epic; “Quarter my heart,” the love poem offered its divided loyalties as arms; The poet saw the seasons as quarters—spring, summer, autumn, winter—in life’s cycle; In royal arms, each quarter declared a conquered realm or ancestral claim; Quartering teaches poets how to hold multiple truths in one frame.
Additional Notes
Quarter as a verb means to divide the shield into four parts to combine multiple coats of arms; as a noun, it refers to one of those sections; in poetry, quartering represents lineage, alliance, or political union; the first and fourth quarters typically display the paternal arms, while second and third show maternal or acquired honors.
Also Known As
Canton (sometimes confused though distinct) Fourth airth Flank
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