Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “quibble” come from?

Quibble derives from Latin quibus, the ablative plural of qui meaning "who," which developed from cum meaning "with," tracing back through various Latin forms of the same root.

quibble (English): A pun; An objection or argument based on an...

Definitions

  1. A pun; An objection or argument based on an...

Ancestry of “quibble”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishquibA quip or gibe
2Latinquibusdative masculine plural of quī; dative feminine...
3Proto-Italickʷiswho, what
4Proto-Indo-European*kʷís—

Words derived from “quibble”

  • quibbler
  • quibbly
  • quibblesome
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís →