Quarrelers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals engaged in a dispute or argument
2. People frequently involved in disagreements or altercations
3. Those who tend to confront others verbally or through disputes

Etymology: "Quarrelers" is the plural of "quarreler," a word built from "quarrel" and the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who quarrels. The "quarrel" half has a longer and more tangled past. It came into English from Old French "querele," which descended from Latin "querela," a complaint or lawsuit, and that Latin word itself came from "queri," to complain. So at its root, a quarrel was closer to a grievance voiced aloud than to a fistfight. The suffix has its own journey. The ending "-er" traces back through Old English "-ere," which itself came from Latin "-arius," a suffix marking a person connected with an activity or role. Latin "-arius" passed into Germanic languages and returned to English through Old French "-ier," which is why English now has the same ending on so many words for people who do things, from baker to banker.

Synonyms: arguers, fussers, disputants, debators, wranglers

Antonyms: peacemakers, reconcilers, mediators, harmonizers, unifiers