Steve Rouse wrote:
>....Now I have wandered on to pondering the etymology of 'to quibble' -
The OED suggests: "? dim. of quib."
"quib
[obsolete headword]
quib, sb. Obs. Also 6 -be, 7 -bbe. [App. ad. (orig. in pl.) L. quibus, dat. or
abl. pl. of qui `who, which', as a word of frequent occurrence in legal
documents and hence associated with the `quirks and quillets' of
the law. For other allusive uses of the L. word, cf. Fr. quibus money, cash;
Dutch kwibus fool, weathercock. ]
1550 Image Hypocr. in Skelton's Wks. (1843) II. 427 His tottes and
quottes Be full of blottes: With quibes and quaryes Of inventataries.
1592 Greene Upst. Courtier in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) II. 232 These lawiers
haue..such quibs and quiddits, that beggering their clients they purchase to
themselues whole lordships."
cc
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