brawl

Meanings

Noun

• A disorderly argument or fight, usually with a large number of people involved.
• A type of dance move or step.
• Alternative of branle

Verb

• To engage in a brawl; to fight or quarrel.
• To create a disturbance; to complain loudly.
• Especially of a rapid stream running over stones: to make a loud, confused noise.
• To pour abuse on; to scold.
• To move to and fro, to quiver, to shake.

Origin

• The verb is derived from Late Middle English braulen, brall, brallen; further etymology is uncertain, but the word could be related to bray and ultimately imitative. It may be cognate with Danish bralle ("to chatter, jabber"), Dutch brallen ("to boast"), Low German brallen ("to brag"), Middle High German prālen ("to boast, flaunt") (modern German prahlen ("to boast, flaunt, vaunt")).
• The noun is derived from Middle English brall, bralle, braul, braule, brawle, from the verb braulen: see above.
• Possibly from French branler ("to shake"), from Old French brandeler ("to shake, wave; to agitate"), from brand, branc, from Vulgar Latin *brandus ("firebrand; flaming sword; sword"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrenu- ("to burn").
• From French branle ("type of dance; an act of shaking, a shake"), from branler, from Old French brandeler ("to shake, wave; to agitate"); see further at etymology 2.
• Alternatively, the word could be derived from brawl: see etymology 2.