ðə fˈoːɹ ˈɛlɪmənts ʌvðə ɡɹˈiːk wɜː mˈoʊstli kwˈɔlᵻtˌeɪɾɪv ˈæspɛkts ʌv mˈæɾɚ, nˌɑːt kwˈɔntᵻtˌeɪɾɪv, æz ˌaʊɚ mˈɑːdɚn ˈɛlɪmənts ɑːɹ; "...tɹˈuː ˈælkəmi nˈɛvɚ ɹᵻɡˈɑːɹdᵻd ˈɜːθ, ˈɛɹ, wˈɔːɾɚ, ænd fˈaɪɚɹ æz kˈɔːɹpoːɹˌiəl ɔːɹ kˈɛmɪkəl sˈʌbstənsᵻz ɪnðə pɹˈɛzəntdˈeɪ sˈɛns ʌvðə wˈɜːd.
The four elements of the Greek were mostly qualitative aspects of matter, not quantitative, as our modern elements are; "...True alchemy never regarded earth, air, water, and fire as corporeal or chemical substances in the present-day sense of the word.