Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tribulation” come from?

Tribulation comes from Middle English tribulation, from Old French tribulacion, from Late Latin tribulatio, derived from the Latin verb terere meaning "to rub or wear away," ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root terh₁-.

tribulation (English): Any adversity; a trying period or event

Definitions

  1. Any adversity; a trying period or event

Ancestry of “tribulation”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtribulation—
2Old Frenchtribulacionproblem; trouble; obstacle
3Late Latintribulatiodistress, trouble, tribulation, affliction;...
4Latintribulāre—
5Latintrībulum—
6Latin-bulum
7Proto-Indo-European-dʰlomAlternative form of *-trom; instrumental suffix;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -dʰlom →