quarrel

quarrel · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ḱwes-“to puff; to sigh”
2. Latin · derived fromquerēla
3. Middle French · derived fromquerele
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromquerele
5. Middle English · inherited fromquerele“altercation, dispute; argument, debate; armed combat; trial by combat; basis for dispute, complaint; claim, legal suit; a lament; illness”
6. English todayquarrel

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], 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). querī (“to complain; to bewail, lament; to be indignant”) comes from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to puff; to sigh”).

quarrel · verb²

1. Middle English · inherited fromquerelen“to dispute, quarrel; to assert one's claims; to rebel”
2. English todayquarrel

From Middle English querelen (“to dispute, quarrel; to assert one's claims; to rebel”) [and other forms], from querele (noun); 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”)).

quarrel · noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kʷetwóres“four”
2. Latin · derived fromquadrum“a square; square section; regular shape or form”
3. Late Latin · derived fromquarellus
4. Old French · derived fromquarel
5. Middle French · derived fromquarrel
6. Anglo-Norman · derived fromquarel
7. Middle English · inherited fromquarrel“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)”
8. English todayquarrel

PIE word *kʷetwóres 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], 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)). Quadrum is ultimately derived from quattuor (“four”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”). Doublet of carreau.

Words from the same roots