troll

troll · noun¹

1. Old Norse · derived fromtrǫll
2. Danish · borrowed fromtrold
3. Swedish · borrowed fromtroll
4. Norwegian Bokmål · borrowed fromtroll
5. Proto-Germanic · derived from*truzlą“supernatural being; demon, fiend; giant; monster”
6. Old Norse · derived fromtrǫll“conjurer, mage; witch”
7. Middle English · inherited fromtrol“demon (?); sorcerer (?)”
8. English todaytroll

Partly: * from Middle English trol (“demon (?); sorcerer (?)”) [and other forms], from Old Norse trǫll (“conjurer, mage; witch”), from Proto-Germanic *truzlą (“supernatural being; demon, fiend; giant; monster”), probably from *trudaną (“to step on; to tread”) + *-ilą (suffix forming agent nouns); and * borrowed from Norwegian Bokmål troll, Swedish troll, or Danish trold, from Old Norse trǫll (see above). Doublet of droll and trow. Cognates * Danish fortrylle (“to bewitch”), trylle (“to conjure”) * Icelandic tröll * Middle High German trol, crewtrolle (“spook, wraith; ogre, monster”) * Norwegian fortrylle (“to bewitch”), trylle (“to conjure”) * Swedish trolla (“to conjure”)

troll · verb, noun²

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*truzlōną“to lumber”
2. Middle High German · derived fromtrollen“to stroll, walk with short strides”
3. Old French · derived fromtroller“to run here and there; to walk aimlessly, ramble, stroll; (hunting) to wander about looking for game”
4. Middle English · inherited fromtrollen“to go about, wander; to move (something) to and fro, rock; to roll; to turn”
5. English todaytroll

The verb is derived from Middle English trollen (“to go about, wander; to move (something) to and fro, rock; to roll; to turn”) [and other forms], of uncertain origin; perhaps in part from Old French troller (“to run here and there; to walk aimlessly, ramble, stroll; (hunting) to wander about looking for game”) (modern French troller); further etymology uncertain, yet probably from or related to Middle High German trollen (“to stroll, walk with short strides”) (modern German trollen (“to move slowly, trundle; to push off, toddle off”)), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *truzlōną (“to lumber”), which is probably related to *trudaną (“to step on, tread”) (see further at etymology 1). Doublet of trull. Verb etymology 2, verb sense 4.2.2 (“to fish using a line and bait or lures trailed behind a boat”) is possibly influenced by trail and/or trawl. The noun is probably derived from the verb. Noun etymology 2, noun sense 4 (“person who makes or posts inflammatory or insincere statements in an attempt to lure others into combative argument”) is possibly influenced by troll (etymology 1). Cognates * Middle Low German drullen (“to stroll”) (Low German trullen (“to troll”))

Troll · proper noun³

A term coined by Yoopers to refer to residents of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, because trolls live "under the bridge" (referring to the Mackinac Bridge).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from early 17th c. a giant supernatural being, especially a grotesque humanoid creature living in caves or hills or under bridges.
• from early 17th c. A type of diminutive supernatural being; a dwarf.
• from 15th c. To move (something, especially a round object) by, or as if by, rolling; to bowl, to roll, to trundle.
• from early 15th c. To roll; also, to turn round and round; to rotate, to spin, to whirl.
• from late 14th c. To move or walk at a leisurely pace; to ramble, to saunter, to stroll.
• from 20th c. Chiefly of a man: synonym of cruise (“to stroll about to find a (male) sexual partner”).
• from 16th c. To sing the parts of (a catch, round, or similar song) in succession; also (generally), to sing (a song) freely or in a carefree way, or loudly.
• from 16th c. To attract or draw out (someone or something); to allure, to elicit, to entice, to lure.