quaver
pronunciation
How to pronounce quaver in British English:
UK [ˈkweɪvə(r)]
How to pronounce quaver in American English:
US [ˈkwevɚ]
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- Noun:
- a tremulous sound
- a musical note having the time value of an eighth of a whole note
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- Verb:
- give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency
- sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note above or below
Word Origin
- quaver
- quaver: [15] Quaver was derived from an earlier and now obsolete Middle English quave ‘tremble’. This was of Germanic origin (Low German has the related quabbeln ‘tremble’), and probably started life as a vocal realization of the action of trembling. The use of the noun quaver for a short musical note (first recorded in the 16th century) comes from the original singing of such notes with a trill.
- quaver (v.)
- "to vibrate, tremble," early 15c., probably a frequentative of cwavien "to tremble, shake" (early 13c.), which probably is related to Low German quabbeln "tremble," and possibly of imitative origin. Meaning "sing in trills or quavers" first recorded 1530s. Related: Quavered; quavering.
- quaver (n.)
- 1560s, in music, "eighth note," from quaver (v.). Meaning "a tremble in the voice" is from 1748.
Example
- 1. You could hear the quaver in her voice .
- 2. I started to feel my knees quaver .
- 3. Her voice began to quaver and I thought she was going to cry .
- 4. I tried to imitate his accent and the quaver which could sometimes be heard in his voice .
- 5. Minnie had a quaver of conscience as she took it , but did not know how to explain to hanson if she took less .