Etymograph

English

troop

Troop comes from French troupe, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *treb- ‘settlement, dwelling’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*treb-‘settlement, dwelling’root as named · steps between not traced
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400trope
  3. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presenttroupe
  5. Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1592troop

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*treb-‘settlement, dwelling’root as named · steps between not traced
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400trope
  3. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presenttroupe
  5. Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1592troop

Earliest quotation: c. 1591–1592, William Shakespeare, The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]: “Ah, knovv you not the Citie fauours them, /…”

The story

Attested in English since 1545, from French troupe, from Back-formation from troupeau, from Middle French trope, troupe, from Old French trope, trupe, of unknown origin.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *treb- ‘settlement, dwelling’

tavern, tabernacle, 14 more

through French troupe

troupe, 2 more

Today it means

noun A collection of people; a number; a multitude (in general).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *treb- / troop

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