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• (17th–18th centuries; verb senses only): cavel, cavell

語源

From Old French caviller (“mock, jest, rail”), from Latin cavillor (“jeer, mock, satirise, reason captiously”), from cavilla (“jeering, raillery, scoffing”); cognate with Italian cavillare, Portuguese cavillar, and Spanish cavilar; nominal usage developed within English from the original verbal usage.

発音

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA: /ˈkæv.əl/, /ˈkæv.ɪl/
• 韻: -ævəl

動詞

cavil (third-person singular simple present cavils, present participle (US) caviling or (UK) cavilling, simple past and past participle (US) caviled or (UK) cavilled)

1. (intransitive) To criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.

   Synonyms: be hypercritical, nitpick, pettifog, split hairs

   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume I, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     The provision, then, which we have here made is no other than Human Nature. Nor do I fear that my sensible reader, though most luxurious in his taste, will start, cavil, or be offended, because I have named but one article.

   • 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 5, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad‎:

     Stranleigh found no difficulty in getting a cavalcade together at Bleacher’s station, an amazingly long distance west of New York. A man finds little trouble in obtaining what he wants, if he never cavils at the price asked, and is willing to pay in advance.

   • 1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 16, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Gutenberg edition, [Florence, Italy]: [ […] Tipografia Giuntina, […]], →OCLC; republished as Lady Chatterley’s Lover (eBook no. 0100181h.html)‎, Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, August 2011, archived from the original on 11 November 2020:

     I wish you wouldn't cavil, Hilda.

   • 1954 June, Charles E. Lee, “Centenary of Paddington Station”, in Railway Magazine, page 425:

     At the Centenary Banquet of the G.W.R. [Great Western Railway] in 1935, the then Prince of Wales (afterwards King Edward VIII) honoured that railway with the title "The Royal Road," at which few will cavil in view of the long record of Royal Specials.

   • 1976, Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016, page 368:

     But their first supporting quotation, which is from The Selfish Gene, includes selfish genes that do have phenotypic effects. Far it be from me, however, to cavil at the honour of being quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary!

派生語

名詞

cavil (plural cavils)

1. A petty or trivial objection or criticism.
   • 1835, Charles G. Finney, Lectures on revivals of religion:

     It is not worth while to spend your time in arguing against a cavil, but make him feel he is committing a sin to plead it, and thus enlist his conscience on your side.

参照

アナグラム

• clavi, lavic