Quaverous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Trembling or shaking in quality, especially referring to a voice that wavers with emotion or weakness
2. Characterized by a quivering quality, particularly in vocalizations that reflect nervousness or fragile emotion
3. Describing a sound or voice that exhibits a tremulous and unsteady wavering, often due to emotional strain

Etymology: "Quaverous" is simply "quaver" with the adjective-forming suffix "-ous" attached, the same ending found in words like "glorious" or "tremulous." The base word "quaver" is the more interesting part. It is English and goes back to the Middle English verb "quaveren," meaning to tremble or shake, and it is related to the Old English "cwafian," meaning to shake or quiver. Over time, "quaver" came to describe a trembling or wavering sound, especially in singing or speaking, and it later gained a musical sense for a note of half the length of a crotchet. The adjective built from it applies that trembling quality to a voice. A quaverous voice wavers as though the speaker's throat or nerves are being shaken, which is why the word suits moments of fear, grief, or emotion. The suffix is what lets the verb-like idea of shaking become a description of how a sound behaves.

Synonyms: tremulous, shaky

Antonyms: steady