  We present a 17O nuclear magnetic resonance study in the stoichiometric
superconductor YBa_2Cu_4O_8. A double irradiation method enables us to show
that, below around 180 K, the spin-lattice relaxation rate of plane oxygen is
not only driven by magnetic, but also significantly by quadrupolar
fluctuations, i.e. low-frequency charge fluctuations. In the superconducting
state, on lowering the temperature, the quadrupolar relaxation diminishes
faster than the magnetic one. These findings show that, with the opening of the
pseudo spin gap, a charge degree of freedom of mainly oxygen character is
present in the electronic low-energy excitation spectrum.
