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Origin and history of tramp

tramp(v.)

late 14c., trampen, "walk heavily, stamp," from Middle Low German trampen "to stamp," from Proto-Germanic *tremp- (source also of Danish trampe, Swedish trampa "to tramp, stamp," Gothic ana-trimpan "to press upon"), from PIE *der- (1) "to run, walk, step" (see tread (v.)).

Intransitive sense of "walk with a heavy tread" is from late 14c. That of "sound of a heavy tread in walking" is by 1808. The sense of "excursion, journey" is by 1786 (on the tramp "going from place to place" is by 1760). Related: Tramped; tramping.

tramp(n.)

"person who wanders about, idle vagrant, vagabond," 1660s, from tramp (v.). The sense of "freight steamship which takes cargo wherever it can be traded" (as opposed to one running a regular line) is attested from c. 1880 (tramp steamer is by 1887). The meaning "promiscuous woman" is attested by 1922. The sense of "a long, toilsome walk" is from 1786.

also from 1660s

Entries linking to tramp

tread(v.)

Middle English treden (past tense trad, past participle troden), from Old English tredan "go by feet, walk; step on, trample; traverse, pass through or over" (class V strong verb; past tense træd, past participle treden), from Proto-Germanic *tred- (source also of Old Saxon tredan, Old Frisian treda, Middle Dutch treden, Old High German tretan, German treten, Gothic trudan, Old Norse troða). This is said by Watkins to be from PIE *der- (1) "assumed base of roots meaning 'to run, walk, step.' " Related: Trod; treaded; treading.

Especially "crush with the feet, thresh grain, press grapes" (late 14c.). In reference to a male bird, especially a domestic cock, "to copulate, cover (a female)," early 14c.; hence treader, treading-fowl, treadfowl, "vigorously sexual male bird," also used of men. 

To tread a measure "dance" is from 1590s. To tread water in swimming, "move the feet and hands regularly up and down while keeping the body in an erect position in order to keep the head above the water," is attested by 1764. To tread the stage "perform in a drama" is by 1690s (as tread the boards by 1858). To tread (one's) shoe amiss, said of a woman, was an old euphemism for "be unchaste" (late 14c.).

trample(v.)

late 14c., tramplen, "to walk heavily, stamp with one's foot or feet," a frequentative form of tramp (v.) with -el (3); or from or influenced by Middle Dutch tramperen, Low German trampeln. The transitive sense "beat down by continuously treading on" is from mid-15c. Related: Trampled; trampling. As a noun from c. 1600.

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wander
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