Where does “trailer” come from?
trailer (Dutch) comes from English trailer, from English trail, from Middle English trailen, from Old French trailler, from Vulgar Latin tragulare, from Latin trāgula — a javelin or dart having a throwing-strap (āmentum).
trailer (Dutch): trailer (unpowered vehicle towed behind another)
Definitions
- trailer (unpowered vehicle towed behind another)
Ancestry of “trailer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | trailer | Someone who or something that trails; Part of an... |
| 2 | English | trail | To follow behind (someone or something); to tail (someone or something) |
| 3 | Middle English | trailen | to hang loosely, drag along, drag away |
| 4 | Old French | trailler | to tow; pick up the scent of a quarry |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | tragulare | to drag |
| 6 | Latin | trāgula | a javelin or dart having a throwing-strap (āmentum) |