tussle English · revision 1243

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈtʌsəl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|tussillen]], a Scottish and northern variant of ''touselen'' “to tousle”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) a frequentative of ''-tousen'' “to pull roughly”.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) It is related to [[tousle]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To pull or push about roughly; to wrestle or scuffle (about 1470).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The intransitive sense “to struggle roughly” dates from 1638.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) The noun appeared in 1629^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) but was colloquial and rare in print before the 19th century.^(Etymonline) Figurative uses for a sharp contest or dispute date from the mid-19th century.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 1470 – to pull about roughly.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1629 – noun, an assault or scuffle.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1638 – to struggle, scuffle.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1857 – noun, a sharp dispute.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A rough physical struggle; a [[scuffle]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A vigorous contest, argument or struggle.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To struggle or fight roughly; to [[wrestle]] or scuffle.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tousle]]

+ * [[touse]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}