Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “truce” come from?

Truce comes from Middle English trewes, meaning a suspension of hostilities between warring parties.

truce (English): a period of time in which no fighting takes place...

Definitions

  1. a period of time in which no fighting takes place...

Ancestry of “truce”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtrewes—
2Middle EnglishtreweFaithful, loyal, trustworthy; Concerned about...
3Old Englishtrēowa—
4Old Englishtrēowtree, wood, timber, beam, log, stake, stick,...
5Proto-West Germanictreutree; wood
6Proto-Germanictrewątree
7EnglishdoruAlternative form of dory
8Ancient Greekδόρυwood, tree, stem; spear shaft, spear, lance,...
9Proto-Hellenicdórutree
10Proto-Indo-Europeandórutree
11Proto-Indo-Europeandrew-hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree

Words derived from “truce”

  • trucial
  • truceless
  • trucebreaker
Every word from Proto-Indo-European drew- →