Etymology
1. c.1380 (implied in
tripper), "tread or step lightly, skip, caper," from O.Fr.
tripper "strike with the feet" (12c.), from a Gmc. source (cf. M.Du.
trippen "to skip, trip, hop," Low Ger.
trippeln, Fris.
tripje, Du.
trappen, O.E.
treppan "to tread, trample") related to trap. The sense of "strike with the foot and cause to stumble" is first recorded c.1425. Meaning "to release" (a catch, lever, etc.) is recorded from 1897;
trip-wire is attested from 1916.
2. From Middle English trippen (“tread or step lightly and nimbly, skip, dance”), perhaps from Old French triper (“to hop or dance around, strike with the feet”), from a Frankish source; or alternatively from Middle Dutch trippen (“to skip, trip, hop, stamp, trample”) (> Modern Dutch trippelen (“to toddle, patter, trip”)). Akin to Middle Low German trippen ( > Danish trippe (“to trip”), Swedish trippa (“to mince, trip”)), West Frisian tripje (“to toddle, trip”), German trippeln (“to scurry”), Old English treppan (“to trample, tread”). Related also to trap, tramp. See: Middle English '
trippen', Dutch '
trippelen', Danish '
trippe', Swedish '
trippa', German, old spelling '
trippeln'.
Verbs referencing "trip"
Tagalog
trip, Galician
trepar, Dutch
trippen, Galician
tripar, Spanish
tripear.