Wiktionary

quarrel

English

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WOTD – 7 January 2021

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English querele (“altercation, dispute; argument, debate; armed combat; trial by combat; basis for dispute, complaint; claim, legal suit; a lament; illness”) [and other forms],[1] from Anglo-Norman querele [and other forms] and Middle French querele, querelle (“altercation, dispute; basis for dispute; side in a dispute; complaint; accusation; legal suit; lament; problem”) (modern French querelle), and from their etymon Latin querēla, querella (“dispute; argument; complaint, grievance; legal complaint; lament; illness”), from querī + -ēla, -ella (suffix forming nouns).[2] Querī is the present active infinitive of queror (“to complain; to bewail, lament; to be indignant”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to puff; to sigh”).

Noun

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quarrel (countable and uncountable, plural quarrels)

  1. (countable) A dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal).
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:dispute
    We got into a silly quarrel about what food to order.
    • 1851, Francis, Duc de la Rochefoucauld [i.e., François de La Rochefoucauld], translated by [anonymous], Moral Reflections, Sentences and Maxims of Francis, Duc de la Rochefoucauld. […], New York, N.Y.: William Gowans, →OCLC, number 523, page 140:
      Quarrels would not last long, if the fault was only on one side.
    • 2016 June 17, John O’Sullivan, “U.K. Membership in the European Union”, in C-SPAN‎[1], 4:34 from the start, archived from the original on 23 December 2020:
      All quarrels halt at the grave.
  2. (countable) Often preceded by a form of to have: a basis or ground of dispute or objection; a complaint; also, a feeling or situation of ill will and unhappiness caused by this.
    A few customers in the shop had some quarrels with us, so we called for the manager.
    I have no quarrel with her; it’s her partner whom I dislike.
  3. (rare, uncountable) A propensity to quarrel; quarrelsomeness.
Alternative forms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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From Middle English querelen (“to dispute, quarrel; to assert one's claims; to rebel”) [and other forms], from querele (noun);[3] see etymology 1. Compare Anglo-Norman, Middle French, and Old French quereler, quereller (“to argue with, dispute; to criticize; to bring a legal suit”) (modern French quereller (“to quarrel, squabble”)).[4]

Verb

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quarrel (third-person singular simple present quarrels, present participle (UK) quarrelling or (US) quarreling, simple past and past participle (UK) quarrelled or (US) quarreled)

  1. (intransitive, also figuratively) To argue fiercely; to contend; to squabble; to cease to be on friendly terms, to fall out.
    • 1605, Francis Bacon, “The Second Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folio 41, verso:
      [T]here is no doubt but the facture or framing of the inward parts, is as full of difference, as the outward, and in that, is the Cauſe Continent of many diſeaſes, which not be obſerued, they quarrell many times with the humors which are not in fault, the fault being in the very frame and Mechanicke of the parte, which cannot be remoued by medicine alteratiue, but muſt be accomodate and palliate by dyets and medicines familiar.
    • 1679, William Temple, “An Essay upon the Original and Nature of Government. […]”, in Miscellanea. […], London: […] A. M. and R. R. for Edw[ard] Gellibrand, […], →OCLC, page 61:
      Nay, they [animals] feed quietly together while there is enough for them all: Quarrel onely when it begins to fail; and when 'tis ended, they ſcatter to ſeek out new encounters. Besides, thoſe called ſociable, quarrel in hunger and in luſt, as well as the others; [...]
    • 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Four. The Last of the Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 147:
      I know, my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child; we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves, and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it.
  2. (intransitive) To find fault; to cavil.
    to quarrel with one’s lot
  3. (intransitive, obsolete) Followed by at: to disagree with; to take offence.
  4. (transitive, obsolete except Scotland) To argue or squabble with (someone).
Conjugation
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Conjugation of quarrel
infinitive (to) quarrel
present tense past tense
1st-person singular quarrel quarrelled
2nd-person singular quarrel, quarrelest†, quarrellest† quarrelled, quarrelledst†
3rd-person singular quarrels, quarreleth†, quarrelleth† quarrelled
plural quarrel
subjunctive quarrel quarrelled
imperative quarrel —
participles quarrelling quarrelled

†Archaic or obsolete.

Alternative forms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 3

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PIE word
*kʷetwóres
 
A crossbow quarrel (sense 1) or bolt of the 16th or 17th century.

From Middle English quarrel (“bolt for an arbalest, crossbow, or siege engine; (figurative) seductive glance, temptation to sin; needle (possibly one square in cross-section); small (perhaps square-shaped) opening in window tracery; a cushion (perhaps square-shaped)”) [and other forms],[5] from Anglo-Norman quarel, quarele, quarrel, Middle French quarrel, and Old French quarel, quarrel, carrel (“crossbow bolt; floor tile or paving stone (rectangular- or square-shaped); small glass pane for windows”) (modern French carreau (“crossbow bolt; a tile; windowpane; a square”)), from Late Latin quarellus, quadrellus (“crossbow bolt; paving stone; a tile”), from Latin quadrum (“a square; square section; regular shape or form”) + -ellus (variant of -ulus (suffix forming diminutive nouns, indicating small size or youth)).[6] Quadrum is ultimately derived from quattuor (“four”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”).

Noun

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quarrel (countable and uncountable, plural quarrels)

  1. (countable, archery, historical) An arrow or bolt for a crossbow or an arbalest (“a late, large type of crossbow”), traditionally with the head square in its cross section.
    Synonyms: (obsolete) carrel, quarry
    • 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “The Seuenth Booke of Godfrey of Bulloigne”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […] Ar[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC, stanza 103, page 137:
      Twanged the ſtring, out flew the quarell long, / And through the ſubtile aire did ſinging pas, / It hit the knight the buckles rich among, / Wherewith his pretious girdle faſt'ned was, / It bruſed them and pearſt his hawberke ſtrong, / Some little blood downe trickled on the gras; [...]
    • 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter XIV, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 281:
      Here be two arblasts, comrade, with windlaces and quarrells—to the barbican with you, and see you drive each bolt through a Saxon brain.
    • 1829 January–July, [Edward Augustus Kendall], “Illustrations of History. Archery.”, in The Olio; or Museum of Entertainment, volume III, London: […] Shackell and Carfrae [for] Joseph Shackell, […], →OCLC, page 174, column 2:
      The small cross-bow, called the arbalet or arbalest, is said to have been invented by the Sicilians. It was carried by the foot-soldiers, and when used was charged with a quarrel or bar-bolt, that is, a small arrow with a flat head, one of which occasioned the death of Harold [Godwinson] at the battle of Hastings, [...]
    • 1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “How the Yellow Cog Fought the Two Rover Galleys”, in The White Company […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 71:
      "What was that?" he asked, as a hissing, sharp-drawn voice seemed to whisper in his ear. The steersman smiled, and pointed with his foot to where a short heavy cross-bow quarrel stuck quivering in the boards.
  2. (countable, architecture) A diamond- or square-shaped piece of glass forming part of a lattice window.
    Synonym: quarry
  3. (countable, Northern England, architecture) A square tile; a quarry tile; (uncountable) such tiles collectively.
    Synonym: (archaic) quarry
  4. (countable, obsolete, rare) A cutting tool or chisel with a diamond- or square-shaped end.
  5. (countable, architecture, obsolete) A small square-shaped opening in window tracery.
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Translations
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diamond- or square-shaped piece of glass forming part of a lattice window

References

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  1. ^ “querē̆le, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “quarrel, n.2”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2007.; “quarrel1, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  3. ^ “querē̆len, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  4. ^ “quarrel, v.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2007; “quarrel1, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  5. ^ “quarrel, n.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  6. ^ “quarrel, n.1”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2007; “quarry2, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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