Where Did Quiver Come from?

The noun, meaning 'a trembling,' dates back to the early 18th century, and comes from the verb. The noun quiver, meaning 'a case for holding arrows,' dates back to the early 14th century. It came into English from the Anglo French quivier (Old French quivre or cuivre).

Why is an arrow holder called a quiver?

It is believed that an arrow holder is called a quiver due to the motion used when pulling out arrows from one. The term is also commonly used figuratively to mean “repository, resources or collection” – which is primary function of this container.

When was the quiver invented?

Quivers of this description are worn by the Norman archers depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, created around 1070 AD. They may well have been the standard model of the low-ranking infantry archer, while the more sophisticated Eastern type has been found mostly in well equipped burials of the Merovingian period.