'atangle' originates from English, specifically the combination of the prefix 'at-' and the noun/verb 'tangle', where the prefix 'at-' served to form verbs or adjectives meaning 'in' or 'to' and 'tangle' meant 'to twist together or entangle'.

'atangle' developed by prefixing 'at-' to Middle English 'tangel'/'tangle' (from earlier forms such as Old English influenced or related words). The form appears in Early Modern English as a variant meaning 'in a tangle' or 'to tangle'.

Initially, it meant 'to be in a tangle' or 'to cause to be in a tangle'; over time the basic idea of 'becoming tangled' has remained, though the word is now rare and sometimes replaced by 'tangle' or 'entangle'.