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troquer

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Etymology and origin of the French word troquer

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Onomatopoeia
First attested
1280 Clef d'Amors More words from the 13th century
From
Old French troquier
Derivations

Pronunciation

Forms

troquer[1] Old French troquier (1280), Middle French trochier (late 14th century), torquer (1403–1404), trocher (1434) and troquer (1472).[2][3] Palsgrave writes trocquer (1530) and Estienne troquer (1549).[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French troquier.[2][1] The origin is uncertain.[2][3] The commonest explanation, followed by the FEW, the GLLF and Bloch and Wartburg, derives it from an expressive root ⟨trokk-⟩ suggesting a blow: the parties to an exchange struck each other's hands to seal it, as with toper.[5][3][4][6][2] Wiktionary also mentions an unknown Germanic source.[1] Diez's derivation, taken up by Guiraud, from a Vulgar Latin *tropicō formed on tropicus (“relating to change”) seems phonetically impossible to Rey,[3] though the Grand Robert still mentions it.[7] The Petit Robert calls the origin unknown.[8]

The verb is found earlier in Medieval Latin trocō (1257, in a cartulary of Saint-Florent near Saumur),[2][6][7] and in Spanish trocar (about 1330) and Old Occitan trucar (early 15th century).[3][6] Littré mentions a theory that French took it from Spanish, which the Old French form trocher makes very doubtful.[9] Compare also Middle English trukien (“to barter”).[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears as troquier in the Clef d'Amors (1280), meaning “to give or cede in exchange for something else”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The verb meant to give in exchange within a commercial deal, an exchange of goods as opposed to one made with money;[3] Louis XI's letters have it absolutely, “to practise barter”, in 1481.[2] From the late 16th century it was also used without any idea of trade, as in d'Aubigné's troquer de “to change”,[2][3][4] and since 1652 it has also meant to give up one thing to take another, as when Scarron's girls traded skirts for breeches.[2]

The derived noun was first feminine, troche (1453–1474), then troque (1520), and disappeared towards the end of the 18th century; the masculine troc (1464) replaced it.[3]

Timeline

  • 1257 – Medieval Latin trocare in a cartulary.[2][6]
  • 1280 – Troquier in the Clef d'Amors.[2][4]
  • 1434 – Trocher “to exchange” in letters of remission.[2][9]
  • 1464 – The noun troc appears.[3][6]
  • 1472 – The form troquer in a letter of Louis XI.[2][3]
  • 1550–1560 – The agent noun trocheur, later troqueur.[2][3]
  • 1652 – Scarron uses it for “to give up one thing for another”.[2]
  • 1723 – Savary records troquer les aiguilles in needle-making.[7][3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To give in exchange, to barter: troquer du blé contre du vin.[8][2][1]
  2. To change one thing for another, without any trade: il a troqué son costume contre un jean.[8][2]
  3. Troquer son cheval borgne contre un aveugle: to exchange something poor for something worse.[2][9]

Word family

  • toper

Usage notes

The Grand Robert has a second troquer (1723, Savary), of the same origin, in needle-making: troquer les aiguilles is to finish the eye of a needle by removing the bits of steel left after piercing it,[7][3][9] an old technique; the noun troque (1876) names this operation.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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 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 c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden
  6. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Troquer.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/troquer. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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