Etymology

trialware

T1R1I1A1L1W4A1R1E1

Today it means: Software that can be tried for a limited time, after which it expires or has limited functionality. Full definition →

English softwarebf. ← Middle English ware ← Old English waru
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. Old Frenchtrier
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  4. Anglo-Normantrial
  5. Middle Englishtrial
  6. Englishtrial
  7. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  8. Proto-Germanic*samþuz /*samftuz
  9. Proto-West Germanic*samft(ī)
  10. Old Englishsōfte
  11. Middle Englishsofte
  12. Englishsoft
  13. Proto-Germanic*warō
  14. Proto-West Germanic*waru
  15. Old Englishwaru
  16. Middle Englishware
  17. Englishsoftwarebf.
  18. English todaytrialware

From trial + -ware (clipping of "software").

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.