English
trochee
Trochee comes from French trochée, from Ancient Greek τρέχω ‘run’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *drem-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*drem-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰregʰ-‘to run, drag’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτρέχωtrékhō‘run’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEτροχαῖοςtrokhaîos
- Frenchc. 1600–presenttrochéeby way of Latin trochaeus
- Englishearliest quotation 2016trochee
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*drem-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰregʰ-‘to run, drag’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτρέχωtrékhō‘run’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEτροχαῖοςtrokhaîos
- Frenchc. 1600–presenttrochéeby way of Latin trochaeus
- Englishearliest quotation 2016trochee
Earliest quotation: 2016, Ian McEwan, Nutshell: “‘He made us read James Fenton on the genius…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *drem- ‘to run’
syndrome, dormant, dormitory, dormer, dromedary, 24 more
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- ‘to run, drag’
draw, train, draft, attractive, drag, portrait, attraction, retreat, extraction, distraction, tract, draught, entreat, 52 more
Today it means
noun A metrical foot in verse consisting of a stressed or heavy syllable followed by an unstressed or light syllable.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *drem- / trochee