retrench

retrench · verb¹

1. Gaulish · derived from*trincare“to cut (the head)”
2. Latin · derived fromtruncāre“to maim by cutting off pieces; to truncate”
3. Vulgar Latin · derived from*trinicāre“cut in three parts”
4. Old French · derived fromretranchier“to get rid of, remove”
5. English todayretrench

From Old French retranchier (“to get rid of, remove”) (modern French retrancher (“to cut out, take away; to cut off; to cut down”)), from re- (“again”) + tranchier, trenchier (“to cut”) (modern French trancher (“to slice”)); further etymology uncertain, but possibly either from Vulgar Latin *trinicāre (“cut in three parts”) (from the root trini from trēs (“three”), based on the model of duplicāre (“to double by dividing, split in two, tear”)), or from an alteration of Latin truncāre (“to maim by cutting off pieces; to truncate”), also possibly influenced by Gaulish *trincare (“to cut (the head)”). Compare English trench.

retrench · verb²

1. Proto-Italic*wre-
2. Latinre-
3. Old Frenchre-
4. Middle Englishre-
5. Englishre-
6. Englishtrench
7. English todayretrench

From re- + trench.

Words from the same roots