different between brawl vs affray

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /b???l/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /b??l/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /b??l/
• Rhymes: -??l

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 pr?len (“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

brawl (plural brawls)

1. A disorderly argument or fight, usually with a large number of people involved.

   Synonyms: row, scuffle, squabble; see also Thesaurus:dispute, Thesaurus:fight

Derived terms

• brawly

Translations

Verb

brawl (third-person singular simple present brawls, present participle brawling, simple past and past participle brawled)

1. (intransitive) To engage in a brawl; to fight or quarrel.

   Synonyms: squabble, wrangle
2. (intransitive) To create a disturbance; to complain loudly.
3. (intransitive) Especially of a rapid stream running over stones: to make a loud, confused noise.
4. (transitive) To pour abuse on; to scold.

Conjugation

Derived terms

• brawler
• brawling (noun)

Translations

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 *b?renu- (“to burn”).

Verb

brawl (third-person singular simple present brawls, present participle brawling, simple past and past participle brawled)

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

   Synonyms: vibrate, waver

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

brawl (plural brawls)

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”)

Notes

References

English

Alternative forms

• afray

Etymology

From Middle English affraien (“to terrify, frighten”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman afrayer (“to terrify, disquiet, disturb”) and Old French effreer, esfreer (“to disturb, remove the peace from”) (compare modern French effrayer), from Vulgar Latin *exfrid?re or from es- (“ex-”) + freer (“to secure, secure the peace”), from Frankish *friþu (“security, peace”), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace”), from *frij?n? (“to free; to love”), from Proto-Indo-European *pr?y-, *pr?y- (“to like, love”). Cognate with Old High German fridu (“peace”), Old English friþ (“peace, frith”), Old English fr?od (“peace, friendship”), German Friede (“peace”). Compare also afear. More at free, friend.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??f?e?/
• Rhymes: -e?

Verb

affray (third-person singular simple present affrays, present participle affraying, simple past and past participle affrayed)

1. (archaic, transitive) To startle from quiet; to alarm.
2. (archaic, transitive) To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.

Related terms

• afraid

Noun

affray (countable and uncountable, plural affrays)

1. The act of suddenly disturbing anyone; an assault or attack.
   • 2015, 8 November, "Rugby league journalist Gary Carter critically ill after Bethnal Green attack", BBC News [1]

     A 22-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the incident for affray towards attending paramedics.

2. A tumultuous assault or quarrel.
3. The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.

4. (obsolete) Terror.

Synonyms

• fray, brawl
• alarm, terror, fright

Related terms

• fray

Translations