different between contend vs brawl

English

Etymology

From Middle English contenden, borrowed from Old French contendre, from Latin contendere (“to stretch out, extend, strive after, contend”), from com- (“together”) + tendere (“to stretch”); see tend, and compare attend, extend, intend, subtend.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?n?t?nd/
• Rhymes: -?nd

Verb

contend (third-person singular simple present contends, present participle contending, simple past and past participle contended)

1. To strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.
   • 1611, King James Version, Deuteronomy ii. 9

     The Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle.
2. To struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.
   • 17th century, John Dryden, Epistle III to the Lady Castlemain

     You sit above, and see vain men below / Contend for what you only can bestow.

3. To strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.

   • these simple ideas are far from those innate principles which some contend for

   • 1667, Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety

     many of those things he so fiercely contended about , were either falle or trivial

4. To believe (something is reasonable) and argue (for it); to advocate.

   In this paper the author contends that no useful results can be obtained if this method is used.

Synonyms

• (strive in opposition): fight, combat, vie, oppose
• (struggle): struggle, strive, emulate (rare)
• (strive in debate): contest, litigate, dispute, debate
• (believe and argue): assert, aver

Related terms

• contender
• contention
• contentious

Translations

Further reading

• contend in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• contend in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

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