1/4 question

[Jeremy Osner]

calbert at tiac.net wrote:

> The term in question, however, relates to the martial
> principle of "no quarter asked, and none given" - a primitive form of
> motivation which eliminates the possibility of honorable surrender.

Does anyone know how this usage of "quarter" arose? It must have meant that
the surrendering parties were giving a quarter of something to the victors
or vice versa -- I have no idea what it was though.

Jeremy