Where does “trifle” come from?
trifle (Middle English) comes from Old French trufle, from Occitan trufa, from Vulgar Latin tufera, from Latin tūber, from Proto-Italic tūβos, from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.
Ancestry of “trifle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | trufle | mockery |
| 2 | Occitan | trufa | — |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | tufera | — |
| 4 | Latin | tūber | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | tūβos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |
Words derived from “trifle”