Where does “trailer” come from?
Trailer derives from English trail, influenced by Chinese 兒 and Old French -er, ultimately from Latin -arius and -us through Proto-Italic -os.
trailer (English): Someone who or something that trails; Part of an...
Definitions
- Someone who or something that trails; Part of an...
Ancestry of “trailer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | trail | To follow behind (someone or something); to tail (someone or something) |
| 2 | Middle English | trailen | to hang loosely, drag along, drag away |
| 3 | Old French | trailler | to tow; pick up the scent of a quarry |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | tragulare | to drag |
| 5 | Latin | trāgula | a javelin or dart having a throwing-strap (āmentum) |