quĕrēla or quĕrella, ae, f. [queror], a complaining, complaint (class.).
I Lit.
A In gen.: intervenit nonnullorum querelis, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 1, § 2: hominum vel admiratio vel querela, id. Lael. 1, 2: inveterata, id. ib. 10, 36: epistula plena querelarum, id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 1: longae, Ov. F. 4, 83: vestrum beneficium nonnullam habet querelam, gives some occasion for complaint , Cic. Fam. 10, 28, 1: his de tot tantisque injuriis, id. Sest. 30, 64: cui sunt inauditae cum Deiotaro querelae tuae? id. Deiot. 3, 9: querela Lucretiae patris ac propinquorum, id. Rep. 2, 25, 46: QVI VIXIT SINE VLLA QVERELA CVM CONIVGE, without any complaint , Inscr. Grut. 480, 5.—With obj.-gen. : frontis tui, Cic. Pis. 1, 1: querela temporum, against the times , id. Fam. 2, 16, 1: aequalium meorum, id. Sen. 3, 7.— With quod : an quod a sociis eorum non abstinuerim, justam querelam habent, Liv. 32, 34, 5.—With obj.clause : falsa est querela, paucissimis hominibus vim percipiendi, quae tradantur, esse concessam, Quint. 1, 1, 1. —
B In partic., a complaint , accusation (postAug.): advocati flagitabant, uti judex querelam inspiceret, Petr. 15: frequentes, Dig. 5, 2, 1: instituere, to institute , ib. 5, 2, 8; 5, 2, 21; Val. Max. 9, 10, 2. —
II Transf.
A A plaintive song for lulling children to sleep: longa somnum suadere querela, Stat. Th. 5, 616. —
B A plaintive sound , plaintive note , plaint; of animals or instruments. — Of swans: tollunt lugubri voce querellam, Lucr. 4, 546.— Of frogs: et veterem in limo ranae cecinere querellam, Verg. G. 1, 378; cf. id. A. 8, 215.—Of doves, Plin. 10, 34, 52, § 104.— Of the plaintive tones of the tibia: dulcesque querellas, Tibia quas fundit, Lucr. 4, 584; 5, 1384.—
C A pain that occasions complaining , a complaint , disease , malady : pulmonis ac viscerum querelas levare, Sen. Q. N. 3, 1, 3; Traj. ap. Plin. Ep. 10, 18 (29), 1.