Where does “quarrel” come from?
Quarrel comes from Middle English querele, from Vulgar Latin quadrellus, from Latin quadrus meaning square, ultimately from Latin quattuor meaning four.
quarrel (English): A dispute or heated argument; "Often preceded by...
Definitions
- A dispute or heated argument; "Often preceded by...
Ancestry of “quarrel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | quarrel | bolt for an arbalest, crossbow, or siege engine; ... |
| 2 | Old French | quarel | square block of stone; square-headed bolt for a... |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | quadrellus | — |
| 4 | Latin | quādrus | square |
| 5 | Latin | quattŭor | four; 4 |
| 6 | Portuguese | quarto | ordinal form of quatro; fourth; quarter; fourth;... |
| 7 | Old Portuguese | quarto | quarter |
| 8 | Latin | quārtus | fourth |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷeturtos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷetwóres | four |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷe- | and |