Etymologically
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truce

Etymology and origin of the English word truce

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /tɹuːs/ (UK); /tɹus/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English trewes, triws, the plural of trewe “faith, pledge, covenant, treaty”,[2][3][4][5][6] inherited from Old English trēow (“faith, fidelity; pledge, treaty”),[2][3][4][5][6] the noun related to true.[3][4][5][6] It goes back to Proto-Germanic *trewwō,[3][4] cognate with Dutch trouw, German Treue and Gothic triggwa “covenant”.[3][4][6] The plural gradually became a singular as it was applied to the pledge of good faith given after a dispute.[3] The Germanic word was borrowed into Late Latin as tregua, whence French trêve.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A stopping of fighting by agreement, an armistice (probably before 1200 in Barnhart; early 13th century in Etymonline; c. 1330 in the OED).[3][4][7]

Semantic evolution

The truce of God was a suspension of hostilities and private feuds ordered by the Church on certain days and seasons.[7] By 1377 the word could also mean a general absence of hostilities, peace.[7] The figurative sense, a respite from any contest or trouble, dates from the 1550s,[4][7] and from 1870 a pause during a game.[7] The verb, to make a truce, is recorded from 1569.[7]

Timeline

  • before 1200 – triws, a cessation of fighting.[3]
  • 1377 – absence of hostilities, peace.[7]
  • 1560 – figurative uses.[7]
  • 1569 – verb, to make a truce.[7]
  • 1870 – a pause in a game.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A temporary suspension of fighting by agreement of the opposing sides; an armistice or cease-fire.
  2. An agreement or treaty establishing this.
  3. A respite from a disagreeable or painful state of affairs.

Verb

  1. To make a truce, or to end with a truce.

Word family

  • truceless
  • true
  • trust
  • troth
  • armistice

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Truce.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/truce. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·