Where does “trespassing” come from?
Trespassing derives from Old French trespasser, combining Old French passer with a prefix meaning "across," ultimately from Latin passus meaning "step" or "pace."
trespassing (English): unauthorized entry to private property; present...
Definitions
- unauthorized entry to private property; present...
Ancestry of “trespassing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | trespass | An intentional interference with another's... |
| 2 | Old French | trespas | pass |
| 3 | Asturian | tres- | trans- |
| 4 | Latin | trāns | across, beyond |
| 5 | Latin | Padus | the River Po |
| 6 | Lepontic | Bodincus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰmḗn | bottom |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |