Where does “trample” come from?
Trample comes from Middle English tramplen, formed from tramp plus the Middle English diminutive suffix -el, which derives from Old English -el and -ol, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -elo-, a formative element related to the Proto-Indo-European root drem- meaning to run or press.
trample (English): To crush something by walking on it; To treat...
Definitions
- To crush something by walking on it; To treat...
Ancestry of “trample”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -le | A frequentative suffix of verbs, indicating... |
| 2 | Middle English | -el | — |
| 3 | Old French | -el | Suffix that usually denotes a masculine noun |
| 4 | Latin | -ellus | Alternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine... |
| 5 | Latin | -ulus | Used to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -olos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |