English
traverse
Traverse comes from Old French traverser ‘to traverse’.
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400traverser‘to traverse’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500traversen
- Englishearliest quotation 1499traverse
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400traverser‘to traverse’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500traversen
- Englishearliest quotation 1499traverse
Earliest quotation: 1499, John Skelton: “Than sholde ye see there pressynge in a pace…”
A compound of trans ‘across’ + versus ‘turned’
Proto-Indo-European *terh₂- ‘through, throughout, over’
Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h₂-n̥ts
Proto-Italic *trānts
Latin trans ‘across’
Every English word from Old French traverser
Today it means
noun A route used in mountaineering, specifically rock climbing, in which the descent occurs by a different route than the ascent.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old French traverser / traverse