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train

Etymology and origin of the French word train

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
c. 1165, Benoît de Sainte-Maure
From
Old French train
Ultimate origin
Latin (trahō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /tʁɛ̃/[1]

Forms

train m (plural trains)[1] Old French traïn, two syllables until about the 15th century.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French train, formed from Old French traïner, “trahiner” (see traîner), from *tragīnō (“to drag”), derived from a form of Latin trahō (“to draw, drag”).[4][5][1][6] It first meant the action of dragging, then what is dragged, and the way one goes along, a pace; hence its many senses.[5][4]

The railway sense is probably due to English “train”, which itself came from French.[5]

Cognate with Old Occitan trahi, Catalan tragí, Spanish tragín and Italian traino.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as traïn about 1165 in Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie, meaning things strewn on the ground, a trail.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

About 1220 it named a file of beasts and wagons carrying an army's baggage, and about 1225 the servants and horses that went with a person, whence train de maison (1806).[2] About 1180 (Jeu d'Adam) it meant a way of acting or living, whence train de vie (Montaigne, 1588) and mener grand train (1872).[2] Train de bois (1660), train d'artillerie (1694) and train des équipages (1835) carry on the idea of a convoy; in mechanics it named a set of linked parts (1690).[2]

The railway train, a locomotive drawing a line of carriages, is recorded in 1829, with train de voyageurs (1837), train de marchandises (1838) and train de plaisir (1850).[2] Later phrases include prendre le train en marche (1966).[2] Faire du train “to make a racket” dates from 1739–1747.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1165 – Traïn in the Roman de Troie.[2]
  • c. 1180 – A way of living, in the Jeu d'Adam.[2]
  • c. 1220 – A baggage train.[2]
  • c. 1225 – A retinue.[2]
  • 1588 – Train de vie in Montaigne.[2]
  • 1694 – Train d'artillerie.[2]
  • 1829 – The railway train.[2]
  • 1838 – Train de marchandises.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A train on a railway: prendre le train, train de marchandises.[2][6]
  2. A line of things drawn or moving together: un train de péniches, train de bois.[6]
  3. A set of linked parts or things: train d'engrenages, train de pneus.[6][2]
  4. A series: un train de mesures.[2]
  5. Pace, speed: aller bon train, en train de, in the process of.[6]
  6. Train de vie: lifestyle, standard of living.[2]
  7. (military) The supply corps: le train des équipages.[2]

Word family

  • entrain
  • arrière-train
  • avant-train
  • traîner
  • entraîner
  • Latin trahō

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Train.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/train. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·