squabble English · revision 1296

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈskwɒbəl/ ''(UK)''; /ˈskwɑːbəl/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is probably of Scandinavian origin^(AHD)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) and imitative,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) related to dialect Swedish ''skvabbel'' “a quarrel”^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) and dialect German ''schwabbeln'' “to babble”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A petty quarrel or dispute (1602).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb followed in 1604.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) In printing, ''squabble'' meant to disarrange composed type (1674).^(OED 1989)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1602 – noun, a petty quarrel.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1604 – verb, to wrangle.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1674 – printing, to disarrange type.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A noisy quarrel over something unimportant.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To quarrel noisily over petty matters; to [[bicker]] or [[wrangle]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(printing)'' To disarrange set type.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[squabbler]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House gives ''quarrel'', ''wrangle'', ''bicker'' and ''fight'' as synonyms.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}