Etymology
1. "vehicle," 1611, "small wheel" (especially one on which the carriages of a ship's guns were mounted), probably from L.
trochus "iron hoop," from Gk.
trokhos "wheel," from
trekhein "to run" (see truckle (n.)). Sense extended to "cart for carrying heavy loads" (1774), then to "motor vehicle for carrying heavy loads" (1930), a shortened form of
motor truck (1916). The verb, meaning "to convey on a truck," is recorded from 1809, from the noun. Verbal meaning "dance, move in a cool way," first attested 1935, from popular dance of that name in U.S., supposedly introduced at Cotton Club, 1933.
Trucker is first attested 1853, "worker who moves loads using a cart;" the motorized version is from 1955, a shortening of
truck driver (pre-1931).
Truck stop is attested from 1961.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ-
4. Proto-Indo-European *drem-influ.
5. Ancient Greek τρέχω (trékhō)
6. Ancient Greek -ῐ́λος (-ĭ́los)
7. Ancient Greek τροχῐ́λος (trokhĭ́los)
8. Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
9. Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
10. Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂
11. Proto-Hellenic *-íā
12. Ancient Greek -ία (-ía)
13. Ancient Greek -είᾱ (-eíā)
14. Ancient Greek τροχῐλείᾱ (trokhĭleíā)der.
15. Medieval Latin trochleader.
16. Anglo-Norman troclebor.
17. Middle English trokel
18. English truckle?
19. English truck
20. Perhaps a shortening of truckle, related to Latin trochus (“iron hoop, wheel”) from Ancient Greek τροχός (trokhós).
Verbs referencing "truck"
Scots
troak, Cebuano tarak-tarak.