Fighting noisily and roughly, usually involving multiple people in a chaotic, uncontrolled manner.
From Middle English 'braul,' possibly of Scandinavian origin, related to Old Norse 'brawl.' Originally meant to make noise or cry out, then narrowed to fighting.
Brawling used to just mean loud noise—sailors' brawls were heard before they were seen—which is why the word still captures that chaotic loudness even when people aren't actually fighting.
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