travail etymology

Etymology: "work" (n. and v.), Middle English, from Old French travail (n.), traveillier (v.), from Medieval Latin trepaliare, from Latin tripalium "an instrument of torture," tripus "a three-legged stool, tripod," from Greek tripous "three-footed" (from treis "three" + pous "foot").

Meaning and Origin: The word "travail" comes from the Old French word "travail," which meant "a form of forced labor." This word, in turn, comes from the Latin word tripalium, which literally means "three-legged stool." The tripalium was used as an instrument of torture in ancient Rome, and it was often used to punish slaves.

Over time, the meaning of the word "travail" came to be associated with any kind of hard or difficult work. Today, the word is still used in this sense, but it is also used to refer to childbirth, which is often a difficult and painful process.

The word "travail" has also been used in a figurative sense to refer to any kind of struggle or hardship. For example, we might say that someone is "in the throes of travail" if they are going through a difficult time in their life.

travail relate terms

  • three

    Etymology 1 Greek Meaning Number three Origin Proto Indo European treyes 2 Sans

  • labor

    Etymology The word labor comes from the Latin word laborare meaning to work toil

  • work

    Etymology The word work comes from the Old English word weorc which means to do t

  • labour

    Etymology The word labour originates from the Latin word labor which means work

  • travail

    Etymology work n and v Middle English from Old French travail n traveillier

  • travel

    Etymology The English word travel derives from the Old French word travailler which

  • confinement

    Etymology Old French confiner to confine to limit Latin confinis border boun

  • toil

    Etymology Middle English toilen from Old French toillier from Late Latin taliare

  • sore

    Etymology of sore The word sore originates from the Old English word sār which me

  • drudge

    Etymology The word drudge comes from the Middle English word drugger which itself is

  • grind

    Etymology Old English grindan Proto Germanic grinnan Proto Indo European root grei

  • difficulty

    Etymology From Old French difficulté from Latin difficultas from difficilis meaning

  • work

    Etymology The word work comes from the Old English word weorc which means to do t

  • birth

    Etymology Indo European root bʰer meaning to bear carry Origin Old English by

  • exercise

    Etymology The word exercise comes from the Latin word exercere which means to train