q u a l i t y ( n . )
c. 1300, "temperament, character, disposition," from Old French qualite "quality, nature, characteristic" (12c., Modern French qualité), from Latin qualitatem (nominative qualitas) "a quality, property; nature, state, condition" (said [Tucker, etc.] to have been coined by Cicero to translate Greek poiotes), from qualis "what kind of a," from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns. Meaning "degree of goodness" is late 14c. Meaning "social rank, position" is c. 1400. Noun phrase quality time first recorded 1977. Quality of life is from 1943. Quality control first attested 1935.
v i n t a g e ( n . )
early 15c., "harvest of grapes, yield of wine from a vineyard," from Anglo-French vintage (mid-14c.), from Old French vendage, vendenge "vine-harvest, yield from a vineyard," from Latin vindemia "a gathering of grapes, yield of grapes," from combining form of vinum "wine" (see wine (n.)) + stem of demere "take off" (from de- "from, away from" + emere "to take;" from PIE root *em- "to take, distribute"). Sense shifted to "age or year of a particular wine" (1746), then to a general adjectival sense of "being of an earlier time" (1883). Used of cars since 1928.
f a s h i o n ( n . )
c.1300, "shape, manner, mode," from Old French façon (12c.) "face, appearance; construction, pattern, design; thing done; beauty; manner, characteristic feature," from Latin factionem (nominative factio) "group of PEOPLE acting together," literally "a making or doing," from facere "to make"