cavil

WOTD – 20 July 2009    

English

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• (RP, US) IPA: /ˈkæv.əl/, /ˈkæv.ɪl/
• Rhymes: -ævəl

Verb

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

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

     You do not well in obstinacy / To cavil in the course of this contract.

   • 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 5, Lord Stranleigh Abroad^[1]:

     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. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover:

     I wish you wouldn't cavil, Hilda.

Synonyms

• be hypercritical, nitpick, pettifog, split hairs

Translations

to criticise for petty or frivolous reasons

• Armenian: բծախնդրություն անել (hy) (bçaxndrut’yun anel)
• Bulgarian: заяждам се (bg) (zajaždam se)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 吹毛求疵 (cmn) (chuīmáoqiúcī), 挑剔 (cmn) (tiāotī)

• Dutch: chicaneren (nl)

• Finnish: nipottaa (fi)
• German: nörgeln (de), kritteln (de), schikanieren (de)
• Hungarian: piszkál (hu)
• Russian: придираться (ru) (pridirátʹsja)

Noun

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.

Translations

petty or trivial objection or criticism

• Armenian: բծախնդրություն (hy) (bçaxndrut’yun)
• Bulgarian: заяждане (bg) (zajaždane) n

• Finnish: nipotus (fi)
• Russian: придирка (ru) (pridírka) f