Etymology

wrangle

wran·gle
W4R1A1N1G2L1E1

Today it means: To convince or influence (someone) by arguing or contending. Full definition →

Middle English wranglen
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The story

  1. Middle English · inherited fromwranglen
  2. English todaywrangle

The verb is derived from Middle English wranglen, wrangle (“to contend with (someone) in a test of strength; (figuratively) to make misleading arguments to entrap”); from a Middle Dutch or Middle Low German word related to Middle Dutch wrangen and Middle Low German wrangen (“to cause an uproar; to struggle, wrestle”) (whence Low German wrangeln (“to wrangle”)), related to Middle Dutch wringen (“to twist; to wrest; to wring; to struggle, wrestle”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze; to twist; to wring”). The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * Danish vringle (“to twist, entangle”) * German rangeln (“to wrestle”)

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.