v. Obs. exc. s.w. dial. Forms: 1 wraxlian, 3–4 wraxli, 4–5, 9 dial. wraxle (5 wracsle, wraskle, 9 dial. wroxle, roxle). [OE. wraxlian = OFris. wraxlia (WFris. wrakselje, wrokselje). The orig. form of the stem may have been wrasc-; cf. OE. wrǽstlian WRESTLE v.] intr. To wrestle; to contend, strive. Also fig.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. xxxii. 24. Ða wraxlode an engel wið hyne on meriʓen. Ibid. (c. 1000), Saints’ Lives, xxiii. 578. Ic wæs … on unmætum costnungum winnende and wraxliʓende.
c. 1275. Lay., 1858. Brutus hine lette witie … fort lete fondien of his main stronge, to wraxli to vore Brutus. Ibid., 24699. Somme þar wraxlede and wiþer-game makede.
c. 1305. St. Swithin, in E. E. P. (1862), 45. Þe baldelikere hi miȝte Huppe ouer diches wher hi wolde, boþe wraxli and fiȝte.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVII. 67. Yf wratthe wraxle with þe poure he hath þe worsse ende. Ibid., 80. Þaugh couetyce wolde with þe poure wraxle þei mai nat come to-gederis.
14[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 593. Luctor, to wraxle.
1746. Exmoor Scolding (E.D.S.), 217. [Though he] wriggled, and pawed, and wraxled, and twined.
1851, 1886. in Devon and Isle of Wight glossaries.
1854. N. & Q., 16 Dec., 479 (Cornish dialect), Wroxle,… to wrestle.
Hence Wraxling vbl. sb. (also attrib.) and ppl. a.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 150. Luctatio, wraxlung.
c. 1275. Lay., 1871. Þar was mochel folk at þare wraxlinge.
1746. Exmoor Scolding, Gloss., Wraxling, wrestling.
1837. [Mrs. Palmer], Dial. Devon. Dialect, 9. Wot’n go … to rail an zee the wraxlin?
1855. Kingsley, Westw. Ho! xxx. I’ll … buy me a pair of horn-tips to my shoes, like a wraxling-man.
1867. Rock, Jim an’ Nell, cxxi. (E.D.S.). Jan’s wraxling ginged tha wildego.
1892. Sarah Hewett, Peasant Speech Devon, 150. A wraxling match between Joe Gooding and Dick Gollop.
