fracas English · revision 1900

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈfɹækɑː/, /fɹəˈkɑː/ ''(UK)''; /ˈfɹeɪkəs/, /ˈfɹækəs/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|fracas|t=crash, din, row]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|it|fracasso|t=uproar, crash]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''fracassare'' “to smash, shatter”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) Etymonline and Random House analyse the Italian verb as ''fra-'', from Latin ''infra'', and ''cassare'' “to break”,^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) which Etymonline derives from Latin ''quassare'' “to shake”.^(Etymonline) It is related to [[quash]].^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A disturbance, noisy quarrel or uproar (1727 in the OED, Barnhart and Etymonline, 1716 in Merriam-Webster).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The meaning has stayed close to the French one,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) today usually a noisy fight or brawl.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1716 – Merriam-Webster's date.^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1720–30 – Random House's dating.^(RHWU)

+ * 1727 – a noisy quarrel (OED, Barnhart, Etymonline).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a [[brawl]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A disturbance or [[uproar]].^(OED 1989)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quash]]

+ * [[cashier]]

+ * [[brawl]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}