Where does “quaver” come from?
Quaver comes from Middle English quaveren, which derives from Middle English quaven.
quaver (English): A trembling shake; A trembling of the voice, as...
Definitions
- A trembling shake; A trembling of the voice, as...
Ancestry of “quaver”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | quaveren | To waver or vacillate |
| 2 | Middle English | -eren | A frequentative suffix forming verbs from other verbs or onomatopoeia, indicating repetition or continuity |
| 3 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 4 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 5 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |