Squabble
/ˈskwɒb.əl/noun
To argue noisily and over petty matters; a noisy petty argument.
Did you know?The word is first recorded in the early 17th century and is likely imitative, echoing the sound of confused, rapid chatter rather than descending from a single dramatic ancient root.
Etymological Timeline
Early 17th Century
English
squabble
“to quarrel noisily or in a petty, bickering way”
Middle English
English
squablen
“to make a noisy disturbance; to quarrel”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*squ-
“imitative cluster associated with noisy, abrupt sounds”
Modern English
English
squabble
“a petty argument or noisy quarrel”