Why in this line from A Midsummer Night's Dream, “square” means “quarrel”?
When refer to dictionaries, there seems to be no such meaning as "quarrel" under the word "square", but only "in agreement".
But in II 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream, "square" in the following line means "quarrel":
And now they never meet in grove, or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,
But they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups, and hide them there.
I wonder where does this meaning come from.
Thank you.
etymology shakespeare
asked 5 hours ago
kimXUkimXU
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When refer to dictionaries, there seems to be no such meaning as "quarrel" under the word "square", but only "in agreement".
But in II 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream, "square" in the following line means "quarrel":
And now they never meet in grove, or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,
But they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups, and hide them there.
I wonder where does this meaning come from.
Thank you.
etymology shakespeare
asked 5 hours ago
kimXUkimXU
212
New contributor
kimXU is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
When refer to dictionaries, there seems to be no such meaning as "quarrel" under the word "square", but only "in agreement".
But in II 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream, "square" in the following line means "quarrel":
And now they never meet in grove, or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,
But they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups, and hide them there.
I wonder where does this meaning come from.
Thank you.
etymology shakespeare
asked 5 hours ago
kimXUkimXU
212
New contributor
kimXU is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
When refer to dictionaries, there seems to be no such meaning as "quarrel" under the word "square", but only "in agreement".
But in II 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream, "square" in the following line means "quarrel":
And now they never meet in grove, or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,
But they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups, and hide them there.
I wonder where does this meaning come from.
Thank you.
etymology shakespeare
etymology shakespeare
asked 5 hours ago
kimXUkimXU
212
New contributor
kimXU is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
kimXUkimXU
212
New contributor
kimXU is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
kimXUkimXU
212
New contributor
kimXU is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
kimXUkimXU
212
asked 5 hours ago
kimXUkimXU
212
212
New contributor
kimXU is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
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add a comment |
1 Answer
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The sense of to "fall out, to be at variance or discord, to disagree or quarrel, with a person, etc." (OED, sense 8a of square, v.; paywalled) is obsolete. It appears in historical dictionaries. OED attests the sense with quotes from 1530 to 1561.
Shakespeare's use in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was written in 1595 or 1596, attests that the sense was still in use and understood in that sense at that time.
answered 5 hours ago
JELJEL
27.3k45191
3
Thank you. I also check the meaning of quarrel and found out that one of its meanings as a noun is "A short, heavy, square-headed arrow or bolt used in a crossbow or arbalest." And its origin is "Middle English: from Old French, based on late Latin quadrus ‘square’." I think there might be some kind of relation generated from this sense. And this kind of arrow is used around middle age, so it makes sense I guess.
– kimXU
5 hours ago
@kimXU The derivation of "square" (to argue) from "quarrel" (square-headed arrow) feels like a folk etymology to me. Unless you have evidence of some intermediate forms I wouldn't believe it.
– Martin Bonner
4 mins ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
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active
oldest
votes
The sense of to "fall out, to be at variance or discord, to disagree or quarrel, with a person, etc." (OED, sense 8a of square, v.; paywalled) is obsolete. It appears in historical dictionaries. OED attests the sense with quotes from 1530 to 1561.
Shakespeare's use in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was written in 1595 or 1596, attests that the sense was still in use and understood in that sense at that time.
answered 5 hours ago
JELJEL
27.3k45191
3
Thank you. I also check the meaning of quarrel and found out that one of its meanings as a noun is "A short, heavy, square-headed arrow or bolt used in a crossbow or arbalest." And its origin is "Middle English: from Old French, based on late Latin quadrus ‘square’." I think there might be some kind of relation generated from this sense. And this kind of arrow is used around middle age, so it makes sense I guess.
– kimXU
5 hours ago
@kimXU The derivation of "square" (to argue) from "quarrel" (square-headed arrow) feels like a folk etymology to me. Unless you have evidence of some intermediate forms I wouldn't believe it.
– Martin Bonner
4 mins ago
add a comment |
The sense of to "fall out, to be at variance or discord, to disagree or quarrel, with a person, etc." (OED, sense 8a of square, v.; paywalled) is obsolete. It appears in historical dictionaries. OED attests the sense with quotes from 1530 to 1561.
Shakespeare's use in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was written in 1595 or 1596, attests that the sense was still in use and understood in that sense at that time.
answered 5 hours ago
JELJEL
27.3k45191
3
Thank you. I also check the meaning of quarrel and found out that one of its meanings as a noun is "A short, heavy, square-headed arrow or bolt used in a crossbow or arbalest." And its origin is "Middle English: from Old French, based on late Latin quadrus ‘square’." I think there might be some kind of relation generated from this sense. And this kind of arrow is used around middle age, so it makes sense I guess.
– kimXU
5 hours ago
@kimXU The derivation of "square" (to argue) from "quarrel" (square-headed arrow) feels like a folk etymology to me. Unless you have evidence of some intermediate forms I wouldn't believe it.
– Martin Bonner
4 mins ago
add a comment |
The sense of to "fall out, to be at variance or discord, to disagree or quarrel, with a person, etc." (OED, sense 8a of square, v.; paywalled) is obsolete. It appears in historical dictionaries. OED attests the sense with quotes from 1530 to 1561.
Shakespeare's use in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was written in 1595 or 1596, attests that the sense was still in use and understood in that sense at that time.
answered 5 hours ago
JELJEL
27.3k45191
The sense of to "fall out, to be at variance or discord, to disagree or quarrel, with a person, etc." (OED, sense 8a of square, v.; paywalled) is obsolete. It appears in historical dictionaries. OED attests the sense with quotes from 1530 to 1561.
Shakespeare's use in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was written in 1595 or 1596, attests that the sense was still in use and understood in that sense at that time.
answered 5 hours ago
JELJEL
27.3k45191
edited 38 mins ago
answered 5 hours ago
JELJEL
27.3k45191
answered 5 hours ago
JELJEL
27.3k45191
answered 5 hours ago
JELJEL
27.3k45191
27.3k45191
3
Thank you. I also check the meaning of quarrel and found out that one of its meanings as a noun is "A short, heavy, square-headed arrow or bolt used in a crossbow or arbalest." And its origin is "Middle English: from Old French, based on late Latin quadrus ‘square’." I think there might be some kind of relation generated from this sense. And this kind of arrow is used around middle age, so it makes sense I guess.
– kimXU
5 hours ago
@kimXU The derivation of "square" (to argue) from "quarrel" (square-headed arrow) feels like a folk etymology to me. Unless you have evidence of some intermediate forms I wouldn't believe it.
– Martin Bonner
4 mins ago
add a comment |
3
Thank you. I also check the meaning of quarrel and found out that one of its meanings as a noun is "A short, heavy, square-headed arrow or bolt used in a crossbow or arbalest." And its origin is "Middle English: from Old French, based on late Latin quadrus ‘square’." I think there might be some kind of relation generated from this sense. And this kind of arrow is used around middle age, so it makes sense I guess.
– kimXU
5 hours ago
@kimXU The derivation of "square" (to argue) from "quarrel" (square-headed arrow) feels like a folk etymology to me. Unless you have evidence of some intermediate forms I wouldn't believe it.
– Martin Bonner
4 mins ago
3
3
Thank you. I also check the meaning of quarrel and found out that one of its meanings as a noun is "A short, heavy, square-headed arrow or bolt used in a crossbow or arbalest." And its origin is "Middle English: from Old French, based on late Latin quadrus ‘square’." I think there might be some kind of relation generated from this sense. And this kind of arrow is used around middle age, so it makes sense I guess.
– kimXU
5 hours ago
Thank you. I also check the meaning of quarrel and found out that one of its meanings as a noun is "A short, heavy, square-headed arrow or bolt used in a crossbow or arbalest." And its origin is "Middle English: from Old French, based on late Latin quadrus ‘square’." I think there might be some kind of relation generated from this sense. And this kind of arrow is used around middle age, so it makes sense I guess.
– kimXU
5 hours ago
@kimXU The derivation of "square" (to argue) from "quarrel" (square-headed arrow) feels like a folk etymology to me. Unless you have evidence of some intermediate forms I wouldn't believe it.
– Martin Bonner
4 mins ago
@kimXU The derivation of "square" (to argue) from "quarrel" (square-headed arrow) feels like a folk etymology to me. Unless you have evidence of some intermediate forms I wouldn't believe it.
– Martin Bonner
4 mins ago
add a comment |
kimXU is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
kimXU is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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