Where does “patent troll” come from?
patent troll (English) comes from English patent, from Middle English patent, from Middle French patent, from Old French patent, from Latin patēns, from Latin pateō, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
patent troll (English): A company, person, etc., that owns and enforces patents in an aggressive and opportunistic manner, often with no intention of producing, marketing, or promoting the subjects of the patents
Definitions
- A company, person, etc., that owns and enforces patents in an aggressive and opportunistic manner, often with no intention of producing, marketing, or promoting the subjects of the patents
Ancestry of “patent troll”, step by step
patent troll traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English patent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | patent | A declaration issued by a government agency... |
| 2 | Middle English | patent | A letter conferring a privilege or status; Such a... |
| 3 | Middle French | patent | — |
| 4 | Old French | patent | — |
| 5 | Latin | patēns | being opening; open |
| 6 | Latin | pateō | to be open, accessible, attainable |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |