Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “quarrel” come from?

quarrel (Middle English) comes from Old French quarel, from Vulgar Latin quadrellus, from Latin quādrus, from Latin quattŭor, from Portuguese quarto, from Old Portuguese quarto, from Latin quārtus, from Proto-Indo-European kʷeturtos — and.

quarrel (Middle English): bolt for an arbalest, crossbow, or siege engine; ...

Definitions

  1. bolt for an arbalest, crossbow, or siege engine; ...

Ancestry of “quarrel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchquarelsquare block of stone; square-headed bolt for a...
2Vulgar Latinquadrellus—
3Latinquādrus—
4Latinquattŭor—
5Portuguesequartoordinal form of quatro; fourth; quarter; fourth;...
6Old Portuguesequartoquarter
7Latinquārtus—
8Proto-Indo-Europeankʷeturtos—
9Proto-Indo-Europeankʷetwóresfour
10Proto-Indo-Europeankʷe-and
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷe- →