different between quibble vs quiddity

English

Etymology

quib +? -le. Quib is probably from Latin quibus (“in what respect? how?”), which appeared frequently in legal documents and came to be suggestive of the verbosity and petty argumentation found therein.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kw?b?l/
• Rhymes: -?b?l

Noun

quibble (plural quibbles)

1. (now rare) A pun. [from 17th c.]
   • 1864, Robert Kemp Philp (editor), The Family Friend (page 54)

     Is it a quibble, or play upon words?
2. An objection or argument based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint. [from 17th c.]
   • Quibbles […] have no place in the search after truth.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:dispute

Translations

Verb

quibble (third-person singular simple present quibbles, present participle quibbling, simple past and past participle quibbled)

1. (informal, intransitive) To complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner.

   They are constantly quibbling over insignificant details.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:squabble

Translations

References

English

Etymology

From Middle French quiddité, and its source, Late Latin quidditas, from Latin quid + -itas.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?kw?d?ti/

Noun

quiddity (plural quiddities)

1. (philosophy) The essence or inherent nature of a person or thing.
   • 1822, October, Charles Lamb, The Old Actors, published in London Magazine, section on “Mr. Munden” (ebook):

     A tub of butter, contemplated by him, amounts to a Platonic idea. He understands a leg of mutton in its quiddity. He stands wondering, amid the commonplace materials of life, like primæval man, with the sun and stars about him.

   • 1962, Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire:

     My vision reeked with truth. It had the tone,

     The quiddity and quaintness of its own

     Reality.

   • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 352:

     He represented my quiddity I suppose – the part which, thanks to you, has converted a black pessimism about life into a belief in cosmic absurdity.

2. (law) A trifle; a nicety or quibble.
3. An eccentricity; an odd feature.

Synonyms

• (essence): nature, quintessence, whatness; See also Thesaurus:essence

Coordinate terms

• (essence): quality
• quoddity

Derived terms

• quidditative

Translations

See also

• quiddity at OneLook Dictionary Search