Where does “try” come from?
Try comes from Old French trier, derived from Latin triare, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terh₁-, a root meaning to rub or wear away.
try (English): To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive;...
Definitions
- To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive;...
Ancestry of “try”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | trien | to try a legal case |
| 2 | Old French | trier | to choose; to select; to sort; to find |
| 3 | Latin | triare | to pick out |
| 4 | Latin | trito | dative masculine singular of trītus; dative... |
| 5 | Latin | tritus | rubbed, triturated; worn out or away, well-worn |
| 6 | Latin | tero | I rub or triturate; I wear away or wear out; I... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |