Where does “trap” come from?

trap (Dutch) comes from German trappe, from Middle High German trappe, from Proto-Germanic trap-, from Proto-Indo-European dreb-, from Proto-Indo-European der- — to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to...

trap (Dutch): stairs, staircase; ladder; degree, grade

Definitions

  1. stairs, staircase; ladder; degree, grade

Ancestry of “trap”, step by step

trap traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German trappe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germantrappebustard
2Middle High Germantrappe—
3Proto-Germanictrap-—
4Proto-Indo-Europeandreb-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeander-to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to...

via Middle Dutch trappe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchtrappetrap, snare
2Old Dutchtrappastep
3Proto-West Germanic*trappāstaircase, stairs

Words derived from “trap”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European der- →