troppus

Forms

troppus m (genitive troppī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Frankish *þorp,^[1] a word of Germanic origin.^[2][3] Wiktionary derives the Frankish word from Proto-Germanic *þurpą (“group, crowd, village”) or from *þruppaz (“cluster”).^[1] Etymonline calls it of unknown origin but perhaps from the same Germanic source.^[4]

It is the source of French troupe, Italian truppa and Spanish tropa,^[1] and the OED derives French troupe, the source of English troop, from it.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Lex Alamannorum, of 712–725 according to Köbler, uses it for a herd of horses: whoever steals the lead mare in troppō dē iūmentīs, “from a herd of beasts”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It is a Medieval Latin word for a herd or flock.^[3][1][5] An Alemannic charter for the monastery of St Gall gives horses cum cēterō troppō, “with the rest of the herd”.^[5] It also appears in glosses and charters, and an Old High German gloss renders it with a word for a stud of horses.^[2]

Timeline

• 712–725 AD – The Lex Alamannorum uses it of a herd of horses.^[2][5]
• Medieval Latin – A charter for St Gall uses it of a herd.^[5]
• 1540s – English troop is borrowed from French troupe.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) a herd, flock (especially of horses).^[3][1][5][2]

Related words

• grex
• English troop

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre