quarrelsome

the word 'quarrelsome' is a late middle english formation built upon the existing noun 'quarrel', which itself originates from latin querela (a complaint) and the verb queri (to complain). the suffix '-some', of old english origin, is a productive morpheme used to create adjectives indicating a propensity or full of a certain quality, as seen in 'tiresome' or 'fearsome'. thus, the literal construction 'characterized by quarreling' directly and logically yields the modern abstract meaning of being prone to arguments and disputes.

Structure: quarrel + some quarrel (from latin queri 'to complain', via old french querele; the core element denoting a dispute) + some (from old english -sum, an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'characterized by, tending to')