different between brawl vs commotion

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

Etymology

From Middle French commocion, from Latin comm?ti?nem, accusative singular of comm?ti?, from comm?tus, perfect passive participle of commove?.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /k??m??.??n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /k??mo?.??n/
• Rhymes: -????n, -o???n

Noun

commotion (countable and uncountable, plural commotions)

1. A state of turbulent motion.
2. An agitated disturbance or a hubbub.
3. (euphemistic) Sexual excitement.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:commotion

Derived terms

• commotional

Related terms

Translations

French

Pronunciation

Noun

commotion f (plural commotions)

1. A violent collision or shock; concussion
2. shock, surprise

Further reading

• “commotion” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).