quibble English · revision 1308

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈkwɪbəl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is probably a diminutive of obsolete ''quib'' “an evasion of the point” (1540s),^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) which is perhaps from [[la|quibus|t=by which, to which]], the dative and ablative plural of ''quī'' “who, what”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) a word common in legal documents and so associated with legal hair-splitting.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Barnhart notes that [[quip]] is related but formed independently.^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A play on words, a pun (1611).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense of a pun is obsolete.^(OED 1989) From 1670 the noun meant an evasion of the point,^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995) and the verb, first “to pun” (before 1629), meant from 1656 to evade the point by quibbles.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) The modern sense of petty fault-finding or a minor objection developed from this.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1540s – ''quib'', an evasion.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1611 – a pun.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * before 1629 – verb, to pun.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1656 – verb, to evade the point.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1670 – an equivocation.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To raise trivial objections or criticisms; to [[cavil]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To evade the point by making petty distinctions; to [[equivocate]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A minor objection or criticism.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An evasion of the point; a petty distinction.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A pun.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[quibbler]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quip]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The American Heritage Dictionary groups ''quibble'', ''carp'', ''cavil'', ''niggle'', ''nitpick'' and ''pettifog'' as verbs meaning to raise petty objections.^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}