Quaver

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkweɪvə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. To produce a voice or sound that shakes or trembles slightly; a musical note held very briefly, lasting one sixty-fourth the length of a whole note
2. To speak or sing with a trembling or wavering voice; a very short musical note representing a tiny fraction of a whole note's time value
3. To emit a wavering sound caused by nervousness or emotion; a brief note in music that is one sixty-fourth as long as a whole note

Etymology: The verb "quaver" comes from Middle English "quaveren," a frequentative form of "quaven" or "cwavien," meaning "to tremble." A frequentative verb is one that expresses repeated or continuous action, so "quaver" carries the sense of a shake that keeps going back and forth rather than a single jolt. The root "quave" and the suffix "-er" combine to give that repeated trembling. The word has relatives across the North Sea. Low German "quabbeln" and German "quabbeln" and "quappeln" all mean "to quiver," suggesting a shared ancestry of wobbling, jelly-like movement. Because these words sound and feel alike, the family of terms points to an old Germanic idea of something that jiggles or shudders.

Synonyms: tremble, shake, vibrate