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quintessence [quintessence 词源字典]: quintessence: [15] Just as modern particle physicists search for the ultimate constituent of matter, the common denominator of all known forces, so medieval alchemists tried to find a fifth primary essence, which together with earth, air, fire, and water formed the substance of all heaven and earth. This fifth essence, higher and more ethereal than the other four, was postulated by Aristotle, who called it aithēr ‘either’.

Another Greek term for it was pemptē ousíā ‘fifth essence’, which was translated into medieval Latin as quinta essentia – whence, via French, English quintessence. The metaphorical sense ‘most perfect or characteristic embodiment’ began to emerge in the second half of the 16th century. Other English words based on quintus ‘fifth’, the ordinal form of Latin quinque ‘five’, include quintet [19] and quintuple [16].
[quintessence etymology, quintessence origin, 英语词源]
contessa (n.): 1819, from Italian contessa, from Medieval Latin cometissa (see countess).
countess (n.): mid-12c., adopted in Anglo-French for "the wife of an earl," from Medieval Latin cometissa, fem. of Latin comes "count" (see count (n.)).
delicatessen (n.): 1889, American English, from German delikatessen, plural of delikatesse "a delicacy, fine food," from French délicatesse (1560s), from délicat "fine," from Latin delicatus (see delicate).
diatessaron (n.): late 14c. as a term in music meaning "interval of a fourth;" 1803 in reference to harmonizings of the gospels, especially that of Tatian (2c.), from Greek dia tessaron, from dia "composed of" (literally "through;" see dia-) + tessaron "four," related to tessares (see four).
giantess (n.): late 14c., from giant + -ess.
hostess (n.): late 13c., "woman who keeps an inn or public hotel," from host (n.1) + -ess, or from Old French hostesse (Modern French hôtesse). Meaning "woman who presides at a dinner party, etc." recorded by 1822. Also used mid-20c. in sense "female who entertains customers in nightclubs," with overtones of prostitution.
Montessori: 1912, in reference to the system of education through free but guided play, devised 1907 by Italian educationist Maria Montessori (1870-1952).
poetess (n.): 1520s, from poet + -ess. Earlier fem. form was poetresse (early 15c.). Old Norse had skaldkona "poetess."
politesse (n.): "civility," 1717, from French politesse (17c.), from Italian politezza, properly "the quality of being polite," from polito "polite," from Latin politus (see polite).
priestess (n.): 1690s, from priest + -ess. Earlier was priestress (late 15c.).
prophetess (n.): c. 1300, from prophet + -ess.
quintessence (n.): early 15c., in ancient and medieval philosophy, "pure essence, substance of which the heavenly bodies are composed," literally "fifth essence," from Middle French quinte essence (14c.), from Medieval Latin quinta essentia, from Latin quinta, fem. of quintus "fifth" (see quinque-) + essentia (see Parousia).

A loan-translation of Greek pempte ousia, the "ether" added by Aristotle to the four known elements (water, earth, fire, air) and said to permeate all things. Its extraction was one of the chief goals of alchemy. Sense of "purest essence" (of a situation, character, etc.) is first recorded 1580s.
quintessential (adj.): c. 1600, "purest, most refined," from quintessence (Medieval Latin quint essentia) + -al (1). Related: Quintessentially.
tessellated (adj.): 1690s, from Late Latin tessellatus "made of small square stones or tiles," past participle of tesselare, from tessella "small square stone or tile," diminutive of tessera "a cube or square of stone or wood," perhaps from Greek tessera, neuter of tesseres, Ionic variant of tessares "four" (see four), in reference to four corners. Related: Tessellate (v.), a 1791 back-formation (from 1826 as an adjective, 1909 as a noun); tessellating.
tessellation (n.): "minute arrangement of parts or colors," 1650s, noun of action from Late Latin tessellatus (see tessellated).
tessera (n.): plural tesserae, "small, square piece of stone," 1650s, from Latin tessera "a die, cube, square tablet with writing on it" used as a token or ticket, from Ionic Greek tessera, neuter of tesseres (Attic tessares) "four" (see four).
tesseract (n.): "four-dimensional 'cube,'" 1888, from tessera + Greek aktis "ray" (see actino-).