Where does “trouble” come from?
trouble (Middle French) comes from Old French trouble, from Vulgar Latin turbulus, from Latin turbidus, from Latin turba, from Ancient Greek τύρβη, from Proto-Indo-European twerH- — to enclose, fence in; to grab, seize; to stir.
Ancestry of “trouble”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | trouble | — |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | turbulus | muddy, turbid, murky, clouded, opaque; troubled,... |
| 3 | Latin | turbidus | wild, stormy; muddy, turbid; murky, foggy,... |
| 4 | Latin | turba | stir, disturbance, tumult, uproar, trouble; mob,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τύρβη | disorder, confusion, tumult; poetic rout, revelry |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | twerH- | to enclose, fence in; to grab, seize; to stir |