Where does “trenchwork” come from?

trenchwork (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.

trenchwork (English): A system of trenches

Definitions

  1. A system of trenches

Ancestry of “trenchwork”, step by step

trenchwork 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 work

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishwork"Employment."; "Effort."; Sustained effort to...
2Middle Englishwerkwork
3Old Englishweorcwork, in various senses, including
4Proto-West Germanicwerkwork
5Proto-Germanicwerkąwork
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwérǵomwork
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwerǵ-to make
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes
trenchwork — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer