Quarrelsomely

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that shows a propensity for arguments and conflicts
2. Conducted in a manner prone to instigating disputes and contentious interactions
3. In a way that expresses a tendency to engage in disputes or disagreements

Etymology: "Quarrelsomely" is a plain formation: the adjective "quarrelsome" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" added to the end. The adjective is itself built from "quarrel" and "-some," the old English suffix meaning "full of" or "tending to," as in "awesome" or "handsome." "Quarrel" is a bit more tangled, having come into English from Old French "querele," which descends from Latin "querela," a complaint or lawsuit. The suffix does the adverbial work, and its own history goes back much further than English. It traces to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "body" or "form," which developed into the idea of "like" or "in the manner of." Old English "-līċe" carried that sense, and over time it wore down to the "-ly" we use now.

Synonyms: argumentatively, contentiously

Antonyms: peacefully