brimbaler

A slightly archaic variant of bringuebaler/brinquebaler, meaning to sway, jolt, or swing about unsteadily — a 16th-century expressive formation, largely displaced in everyday speech today by its more common cousin bringuebaler.

• La lanterne brimbalait au bout de son fil. — The lantern swung and swayed at the end of its cord.
• Le vieux chariot brimbalait sur le chemin caillouteux. — The old cart jolted and swayed along the stony path.
• Ce verbe est aujourd'hui rare, supplanté par bringuebaler. — This verb is rare today, largely replaced by bringuebaler.

Brimbaler has mostly fallen out of everyday use — a learner is far more likely to meet bringuebaler or brinquebaler instead, which mean the same thing and are the more common modern spellings.

Often confused with bringuebaler.