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REFERENCE

brawl

n. · v.
US //ˈbɹɔɫ// UK //bɹˈɔːl// brawl
  1. 1 a noisy fight (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a noisy, rough fight that often involves several people in a public place.

    a noisy, disorderly fight or physical altercation, typically involving a group of people in a public setting.

    Example

    The peaceful evening ended when a brawl broke out between fans outside the stadium.

    Example

    Security personnel were forced to intervene when a minor disagreement escalated into a full-scale brawl in the hotel lobby.
  2. 2 sound of water (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    the loud, bubbling noise made by a fast stream of water running over rocks.

    to make a loud, confused, or gurgling noise, specifically used in a literary context to describe a rapid stream flowing over stones.

    Example

    We could hear the mountain stream brawl over the rocks in the distance.

    Example

    The poet described how the icy brook would brawl against the jagged stones of the ravine during the spring thaw.
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  1. 3 historical dance (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Music

    an old type of French dance where people move in a circle or a line.

    An English name for the 'branle', a French choral dance from the 16th century performed in a circle or line.

    Example

    The musicians played a lively brawl for the dancers at the Renaissance fair.

    Example

    The courtly entertainment concluded with a traditional brawl, involving all the guests in a rhythmic circular procession.

    Usage

    Often spelled 'branle' in modern technical contexts regarding early music.
    • branle
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.

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”).

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.

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