brawl

Etymology 1

The verb is derived from Late Middle English braulen, brall, brallen (“to clamour, to shout; to quarrel; to boast”); 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 (“disturbance, squabble; brawl”), from the verb braulen: see above.

noun

1. A disorderly argument or fight, usually with a large number of people involved.
   The complaint charged that the defendants, on, etc., at, etc., "in a certain public place, to wit, in a certain school-house in which a singing-school was then and there being held, did make a great brawl and tumult, and stamped their feet on the floor, hissed, used loud and saucy language, and were guilty of rude, indecent, and disorderly conduct." 18 December 1874, John M. Shirley, state reporter, “State v. Rollins”, in Reports of Cases in the Superior Court of Judicature of New Hampshire, volume LV, Concord, N.H.: Published by Josiah B. Sanborn, published 1876, →OCLC, page 102
   It has been reported that an entertainment took place not long ago in a certain "hot spot" in New York City, and it has been charged that members of the Federal Communications Commission were present; that they got into a drunken brawl; and in the brawl some woman was hurt, her arm twisted. 21 June 1940, “Further Statement of Thad H. Brown, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C.”, in Nomination of Thad H. Brown: Hearings before the Committee on Interstate Commerce, United States Senate, Seventy-sixth Congress, Third Session on the Nomination of Thad H. Brown on Reappointment as Federal Communications Commissioner[…], Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 81
   Robert Carlyle appears as Begbie, who starts brawls with almost anyone who crosses his path; … 26 January 2017, Christopher D. Shea, “‘T2 Trainspotting’: The early reviews”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2018-02-21

verb

1. (intransitive) To engage in a brawl; to fight or quarrel.
   Theſe are the deep and profound Myſteries of Artificial Logick, invented with ſo much care by theſe fallacious Doctors, … Theſe are the Nets, and theſe are the Hounds with which they hunt the Truth of all things, whether natural, as in Phyſicks; or ſupernatural, as in Metaphyſicks: but according to the Proverb of Clodius and Varro, can never overtake, by reaſon of their bawling and brawling one with another. 1676, Henry Cornelius Agrippa [i.e., Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim], “Of Logick”, in The Vanity of Arts and Sciences, London: Printed by J. C. for Samuel Speed,[…], →OCLC, page 43
   As long as they Xanthippe and Myrto, Socrates' wives] diſagreed, they were continually ſcolding, brawling, or fighting, with each other; and whenever they agreed, they both joined in brawling [verb sense 2] at him, and often fell on him with their fiſts as well as with their tongues, and beat him ſoundly. 1716, Humphrey Prideaux, “Book VI”, in The Old and New Testament Connected, in the History of the Jews and Neighbouring Nations, from the Declension of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, to the Time of Christ, part I, volume II, Edinburgh: Printed by D. Schaw & Co.,[…], published 1799, →OCLC, page 417
   [U]pon every trifle, the vitiated faculties of thy ſoul are inflamed with immoderate and moſt irregular paſſion, ſo that thou often brawleſt, and art made thereby to roar like a wild bull caught in a thicket: … 1763, John Henderson, “Sect. XVI. Soliloquy on the Unerring Motions of the Spirit.”, in James Thomson, editor, Divine Meditations and Contemplations, in Prose and Verse, on Some of the Most Important and Interesting Doctrines of Christianity.[…], Glasgow: Printed for James Thomson,[…], and sold by him[…], and by J. Trail, W. Gray, and J. Wood,[…]; and by R. Smith, jun.[…], →OCLC, page 305
2. (intransitive) To create a disturbance; to complain loudly.
   She [the son's wife] is one that is euermore full of ſtryfe / And of all Scolders beareth the Bell. / When ſhe ſpeaketh beſt, ſhe brawleth her tonge / When ſhe is ſtyll ſhe fyghteth apace: / She is an olde Witch thoughe ſhe be yonge, / No mirth with her, no ioye or ſolace. c. 1560, Thomas Ingelend, A Pretie and Mery New Enterlude, Called The Disobedient Child, imprinted at London: […] [B]y Thomas Colwell, →OCLC; republished as John S. Farmer, editor, The Disobedient Child (The Tudor Facsimile Texts; 42), London, Edinburgh: Issued for subscribers by T. C. & E. C. Jack,[…], 1908, →OCLC
   He [one Samuel Tuke] blasphemeth God's Holy Word, preacheth sedition and rebellion, telleth in the pulpit many foolish lies and ridiculous tales, brawleth against the reverend and learned ministers of the country, and raileth upon the worshipful gentry; … 1862 April, “The Bicentenary Commemoration of 1662”, in The Ecclesiastic and Theologian, volume XXIV, London: Joseph Masters,[…]; Oxford, Oxfordshire: J. H. and James Parker; A. R. Mowbray; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Hall and Son; Derby, Derbyshire: J. and C. Mozley, →OCLC, page 239
3. (intransitive) Especially of a rapid stream running over stones: to make a loud, confused noise.
   ―When low-hung clouds each ſtar of ſummer hide, / And fireleſs are the valleys far and wide, / Where the brook brawls along the painful road, / Dark with bat haunted aſhes ſtretching broad, … 1793, W[illiam] Wordsworth, An Evening Walk. An Epistle; in Verse.[…], London: Printed for J[oseph] Johnson,[…], →OCLC; republished as “The Female Beggar. From Wordsworth’s Evening Walk.”, in The Edinburgh Magazine, or Literary Miscellany, volume III (New Series), Edinburgh: Printed for James Symington […] and sold in London by H. Murray[…], and W. Boag[…], May 1794, →OCLC, page 387, column 1
   What seek we here / Amid this waste where desolation scowls, / And the red torrent, brawling down the linn, / Sings everlasting discord? 1814, J. H. Craig [pseudonym; James Hogg], The Hunting of Badlewe: A Dramatic Tale, London: H[enry] Colburn; Edinburgh: G. Goldie, →OCLC, page 1; quoted in “The Hunting of Badlewe, a Dramatic Tale. 8vo. Edin. 1814. [From the Scottish Review.]”, in The Analectic Magazine, Containing Selections from Foreign Reviews and Magazines, together with Original Miscellaneous Compositions, volume V (New Series), Philadelphia, Pa.: Published and sold by Moses Thomas,[…], May 1815, →OCLC, pages 353–354
4. (transitive) To pour abuse on; to scold.

Etymology 2

Possibly from French branler (“to shake”), from Old French brandeler (“to shake, wave; to agitate”), from brand, branc (“blade of a sword”), from Vulgar Latin *brandus (“firebrand; flaming sword; sword”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrenu- (“to burn”).

verb

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To move to and fro, to quiver, to shake.

Etymology 3

From French branle (“type of dance; an act of shaking, a shake”), from branler (“to shake”), from Old French brandeler (“to shake, wave; to agitate”); see further at etymology 2. Alternatively, the word could be derived from brawl (“(obsolete) to move to and fro, quiver, shake”): see etymology 2.

noun

1. (dance, obsolete) A type of dance move or step.
2. (dance, music, historical) Alternative form of branle (“dance of French origin dating from the 16th century, performed by couples in a circle or a line; the music for this dance”)