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vier

Vier is the German word for the number four. It functions as a cardinal numeral used in counting, arithmetic, clocks, dates, measurements, and labeling. In German, as in other West Germanic languages, vier is the basic form from which related words and compounds are built. It is cognate with the English four and the Dutch vier.

Etymology and related forms are rooted in Proto-Germanic and share common ancestry with other Germanic languages.

Usage and symbolism. Vier is used not only as a numeral but also as a productive stem

In mathematics and geometry, four is a small composite number and the square of two. In geometry,

The
word
appears
in
various
inflected
forms
in
German,
such
as
vierzehn
for
fourteen,
viermal
meaning
four
times,
and
vierter
as
the
ordinal
form
of
four.
The
adverbial
phrase
zu
viert
denotes
acting
together
as
a
group
of
four.
in
compound
words
and
phrases.
Examples
include
Viertel
(quarter),
Vierer
(a
group
of
four
or
a
four-person
vehicle),
and
in
phrases
like
zu
viert
(as
a
party
of
four).
The
board
game
Vier
gewinnt,
literally
“Four
wins,”
is
known
in
German-speaking
contexts
as
a
name
for
the
game
Connect
Four.
a
quadrilateral
is
a
polygon
with
four
sides.
In
music,
the
interval
of
a
fourth
is
a
basic
musical
interval.
These
associations
reflect
vier’s
role
as
a
fundamental
unit
in
counting
and
categorization,
while
its
use
extends
to
culture
and
daily
language
through
a
variety
of
derivations
and
phrases.