Where does “trap” come from?

trap (Polish) comes from French trappe, from Middle French trappe, from Old French trape, from Medieval Latin trappa, from Frankish trappa, from Proto-Germanic trap-, from Proto-Indo-European dreb-, from Proto-Indo-European der- — to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to...

trap (Polish): gangway, gangplank, gangboard, accommodation ladder

Definitions

  1. gangway, gangplank, gangboard, accommodation ladder

Ancestry of “trap”, step by step

trap traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French trappe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchtrappehatch or trap door; trap
2Middle Frenchtrappe—
3Old Frenchtrapetrap; hiding place
4Medieval Latintrappa—
5Frankishtrappatrap, snare
6Proto-Germanictrap-—
7Proto-Indo-Europeandreb-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeander-to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to...

via Dutch trap

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchtrapstairs, staircase; ladder; degree, grade
2Germantrappebustard
3Middle High Germantrappe—
4Proto-Slavicdropъty—
5Proto-Indo-Europeandreh₂-run; to run, escape
Every word from Proto-Indo-European der- →