Where does “trenchwards” come from?

trenchwards (English) comes from English trench, from Old French trenche, from Old French trenchier, from Vulgar Latin trinicare, from Latin trini, from Latin tres, from English three, from Middle English thre.

trenchwards (English): Toward a trench

Definitions

  1. Toward a trench

Ancestry of “trenchwards”, step by step

trenchwards traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English trench

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtrenchA long, narrow ditch or hole dug in the ground; A...
2Old Frenchtrenchetrench; first-person singular present indicative...
3Old Frenchtrenchierto cut
4Vulgar Latintrinicarecut into three parts; cut in three parts
5Latintrininominative masculine plural of trīnus; genitive...
6Latintresthree; 3
7EnglishthreeA numerical value after two and before four....
8Middle Englishthrethree
9Old Englishþrīthree
10Proto-West Germanicþrīʀthree
11Proto-Germanicþrīzthree
12Proto-Indo-European*tréyes

via English wards

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishwardsplural of ward; Third-person singular simple...
2EnglishwardA warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman;...
3Middle Englishwardward, keeping
4Old Englishweardguard; guard, the action of looking out for...
5Old Englishōraore, unwrought metal
6Old Englishēarsea, ocean; grave, earth
7Proto-Germanicahazear
8Proto-Finnicahtasnarrow, cramped
9Proto-Balticanśtas
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énǵʰusnarrow, tight
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enǵʰ-to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes