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Origin and history of snarl

snarl(v.1)

late 14c., snarlen, "tangle, catch in a snare or noose" (transitive; literal and figurative), from the obsolete noun snarl "a snare, a noose" (late 14c.), which is probably a diminutive of snare (n.1). The intransitive sense of "become twisted or entangled" is from c. 1600. Related: Snarled; snarling.

snarl(v.2)

"growl and bare the teeth," as an angry dog or wolf, 1580s, perhaps from Dutch or Low German snarren "to rattle," which are probably of imitative origin (compare German schnarren "to rattle," schnurren "to hum, buzz"). The meaning "speak in a harsh, quarrelsome manner" is recorded by 1690s. Related: Snarled; snarling.

snarl(n.1)

late 14c., "a snare, noose, trap," perhaps a diminutive of snare (n.1) with -el (2). The meaning "a tangle, a knot" in hair, thread, etc. is attested from c. 1600. That of "traffic jam" is from 1933.

snarl(n.2)

"a sharp growl accompanied by a display of the teeth," 1610s, from snarl (v.2).

also from 1610s

Entries linking to snarl

snare(n.1)

"noose for catching animals," late Old English snearu, and also from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse snara "noose, snare," related to soenri "twisted rope," from Proto-Germanic *snarkho (source also of Middle Dutch snare, Dutch snaar, Old High German snare, German Schnur "noose, cord," Old English snear "a string, cord"). Figuratively from c. 1300, "anything by which one is entangled or entrapped."

snarky(adj.)

"irritable, short-tempered," by 1901, from snark (v.) "find fault with, nag" (1882), literally "to snort" (1866), which is from an imitative source. Compare Low German snarken, North Frisian snarke, Swedish snarka; also compare snarl (v.2) and sneer (v.).

The people like a cheerful prophet. The people will feel for [sic] more kindly toward the Ford county prophet who says there will be green grass in October than they would toward some snarky pessimist with a claim about early frost, and short-lived pastures. [Topeka (Kansas) Daily Capital, Aug. 14, 1901]

Also compare narky "bad-tempered, sarcastic" (1895), British slang from earlier nark "annoying, quarrelsome, or unpleasant person" (1846), from nark (q.v.).

It seems to have emerged anew as a vogue word c. 1997 to indicate " said or written in a hostile, knowing, bitter tone of contempt." The back-formation snark (n.) "caustic, opinionated, and critical rhetoric" is by c. 2002. Related: Snarkily; snarkiness.

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Trends of snarl

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

snout
early 13c., "trunk or projecting nose of an animal, the nose or jaws when protrusive," not found in Old English, from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch snute "snout," from Proto-Germanic *snut- (source also of German Schnauze, Norwegian snut, Danish snude "snout"). Throughout th
snap
1550s, perhaps late 15c., "a quick, sudden bite or cut; an eager seizing," from snap (v.), or, if the earlier date, a noun from Dutch or Low German snappen "to snap," which are probably related to Middle Low German or Middle Dutch snavel "bill, beak," which Watkins traced to a hy
tangle
mid-14c., tanglen, "encumber, enmesh, knit together confusedly," a shortening of entangle in some cases, in others probably a nasalized variant of tagilen "to involve in a difficult situation, entangle," from a Scandinavian source (compare dialectal Swedish taggla "to disorder,"
mouth
Old English muþ "oral opening of an animal or human; opening of anything, door, gate," from Proto-Germanic *muntha- (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian muth, Old Norse munnr, Danish mund, Middle Dutch mont, Dutch mond, Old High German mund, German Mund, Gothic munþs "mouth"),
speak
Middle English speken, from Old English specan, variant of sprecan "to utter words articulately without singing, have or use the power of speech; make a speech; hold discourse" with others (class V strong verb; past tense spræc, past participle sprecen), from Proto-Germanic *spre
complicate
1620s, "to intertwine," from Latin complicatus "folded together; confused, intricate," past participle of complicare "to involve," literally "to fold together," from com "with, together" (see com-) + plicare "to fold, weave" (from PIE root *plek- "to plait"). Meaning "to make mor
perplexity
mid-14c., perplexite, "bewilderment, doubt, uncertainty," from Old French perplexite "confusion, perplexity," from Late Latin perplexitatem (nominative perplexitas), from Latin perplexus "confused, involved, interwoven," from per- "completely" + plexus "entangled," past participl
maze
c. 1300, "delusion, bewilderment, confusion of thought," possibly from Old English *mæs, which is suggested by the compound amasod "amazed" and verb amasian "to confound, confuse" (compare amaze). Of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Norwegian dialectal mas "exhausting labor,"
mat
"an article plaited or woven of more or less coarse natural materials (rushes, straw, twine, etc.) used as bedding, floor-coverings, etc.," Old English matte, from Late Latin matta "mat made of rushes" (4c.), probably from Punic or Phoenician matta (compare Hebrew mittah "bed, co
mesh
late 14c., mesche, "open space in a net or netting," probably from late Old English max "net," earlier mæscre, from Proto-Germanic *mask- (source also of Old Norse möskvi, Danish maske, Swedish maska, Old Saxon masca, Middle Dutch maessce, Dutch maas "mesh," Old High German masca

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