Early 19th century; earliest use found in Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832), philosopher, jurist, and reformer. From classical Latin quisquiliae + -ous. Compare post-classical Latin quisquiliosus concerned with worthless things.
Definition of quisquilious in US English:
quisquilious
adjectivekwɪsˈkwɪlɪəs
rare
= quisquilian.
Origin
Early 19th century; earliest use found in Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832), philosopher, jurist, and reformer. From classical Latin quisquiliae + -ous. Compare post-classical Latin quisquiliosus concerned with worthless things.