Where does “countertrench” come from?

countertrench (English) comes from English counter, from Middle English countour, from Middle French contoir, from Middle French compter, from Old French compter, from Latin computāre, from Latin computō, from Latin com- — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

countertrench (English): A military trench dug in opposition to an enemy trench

Definitions

  1. A military trench dug in opposition to an enemy trench

Ancestry of “countertrench”, step by step

countertrench traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English counter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcounterOne who counts; A reckoner; someone who collects...
2Middle EnglishcountourAn accountant; a financial recordkeeper
3Middle FrenchcontoirAlternative spelling of comptoir
4Middle Frenchcompterto recount; to tell
5Old Frenchcompter
6Latincomputāre
7Latincomputōto calculate, compute, reckon together
8Latincom-allomorph of con-
9Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
10Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
11Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
12Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
13Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
14Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
15Middle Englishkyt
16Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
17Old High Germankuti
18Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
19Proto-Germanickweduzresin
20Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
21Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

via English trench

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtrenchA long, narrow ditch or hole dug in the ground; A...
2Old Frenchtrenchetrench; first-person singular present indicative...
3Old Frenchtrenchierto cut
4Vulgar Latintrinicarecut into three parts; cut in three parts
5Latintrininominative masculine plural of trīnus; genitive...
6Latintresthree; 3
7EnglishthreeA numerical value after two and before four....
8Middle Englishthrethree
9Old Englishþrīthree
10Proto-West Germanicþrīʀthree
11Proto-Germanicþrīzthree
12Proto-Indo-European*tréyes
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-
countertrench — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer