Where does “vapour trail” come from?
vapour trail (English) comes from English trail, from Middle English trailen, from Old French trailler, from Vulgar Latin tragulare, from Latin trāgula.
vapour trail (English): A contrail
Ancestry of “vapour trail”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | trail | To follow behind ; to tail; To drag behind on... |
| 2 | Middle English | trailen | to hang loosely, drag along, drag away |
| 3 | Old French | trailler | to tow; pick up the scent of a quarry |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | tragulare | to drag |
| 5 | Latin | trāgula | — |