Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “traffic” come from?

Traffic derives from Middle French trafique, from Italian traffico, from Italian trafficare, meaning to trade or deal in goods.

traffic (English): Pedestrians or vehicles on roads, or the flux or...

Definitions

  1. Pedestrians or vehicles on roads, or the flux or...

Ancestry of “traffic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchtrafiquetraffic
2Italiantrafficotraffic; trade; activity, rush
3Vulgar Latintransfricareto rub across
4Latinfricō—
5LatinfrioI crumble, rub, or break into pieces
6Proto-Italic*friāō—

Words derived from “traffic”

  • trafficking
  • trafficked
  • trafficker
  • nontraffic
  • antitrafficking
  • narcotrafficking
  • trafficability
  • trafficable
  • narcotraffic
  • countertrafficking
  • trafficless
  • narcotrafficker
  • trafficky
  • trafficketh
  • intertraffic
  • trafficwise
  • mistrafficked
  • mistrafficking
  • traffickest
  • traffic furniture
  • traf
  • trafic
  • narcotrafic
  • トラフィック
Every word from Proto-Italic *friāō →