Where does “tram” come from?
Tram comes from Low German traam, from Latin trama meaning weft or crossthread, from Proto-Indo-European tragʰ-.
tram (English): A passenger vehicle for public use that runs on...
Definitions
- A passenger vehicle for public use that runs on...
Ancestry of “tram”, step by step
tram traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Low German traam
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low German | traam | tram, shaft of a barrow |
| 2 | Middle High German | troum | dream |
| 3 | Old High German | troum | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | draum | dream |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | draumaz | dream |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | draugmaz | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰrowgʰ-mos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰrewgʰ- | to deceive, to mislead; to serve one's tribe;... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
via French trame
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | trame | weft; frame; screentone |
| 2 | Old French | traime | — |
| 3 | Latin | trama | woof, weft; A lean, lanky person |
| 4 | Latin | trahō | to drag, pull |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreǵʰ- | to drag, draw, pull; to draw, drag |
via Spanish trama
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | trama | weave, weft; plot; grid |