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Origin and history of trouble

trouble(v.)

c. 1200, troublen, "produce mental agitation or emotional turmoil;" mid-14c., "inflict suffering on;" from Old French trubler, metathesis of turbler, torbler "to trouble, disturb; make cloudy, stir up, mix" (11c.), from Vulgar Latin *turbulare, from Late Latin turbidare "to trouble, make turbid," from Latin turbidus (see turbid). Also compare trouble (n.).

The lighter sense of "pester with requests, ask importunately," often in formulas of polite apology, is by 1510s. Related: Troubled; troubling; troublable "easily stirred up," late 14c., from Old French.

trouble(n.)

c. 1200, "agitation of the mind, emotional turmoil," from Old French truble, torble "trouble, disturbance" (12c.), from trubler/torbler "disturb, make cloudy," from Vulgar Latin *turbulare, from Late Latin turbidare "to trouble, make turbid," from Latin turbidus (see turbid). Also compare trouble (v.).

It is attested by c. 1400 in reference to agitation of the sea, also generally, "confusion, disorder." From early 15c. as "a concern, a cause for worry;" 1590s as "something that causes trouble."

The meaning "unpleasant relations with the authorities" is from 1550s. Related: Troubles (1510s). Trouble and strife as rhyming slang for "wife" is recorded from 1908.

From alternative and variant forms Middle English also had tribul "tribulation," from Anglo-French tribul, Old French tribol; also turble "agitation, disturbance, unrest, tumult" (early 15c.), from Old French torble, tourble.

Also compare troubleness "turbulence, opacity" (early 15c.); troublousness "distracting or disturbing behavior" (mid-15c.); troublance "opposition, hindrance" (c. 1400); troublement (late 15c.); troubliness "turbidity" (early 15c.).

also from c. 1200

Entries linking to trouble

turbid(adj.)

"muddy, foul with extraneous matter, thick, not clear," 1620s, from Latin turbidus "muddy, full of confusion," from turbare "to confuse, bewilder," from turba "turmoil, crowd," which is of uncertain origin. De Vaan writes:

Turba seems most similar to [Greek syrbe, Attic tyrbe] 'noise, commotion', ... which are probably loanwords. In that case, Latin would have borrowed the word from a Greek dialect, or both Greek and Latin borrowed it from a third source. In view of the quite well-developed word family already in Plautus, which suggests that turba had been in the language for some time, the latter option seems preferable.

Related to disturb, trouble, turbine. Used of liquids having the lees disturbed, later also of colors, and extended to "confused, disorderly" (1640s). Middle English medical writing used turbide (adj.) "impaired, afflicted by illness" (early 15c.). Related: Turbidly; turbidness.

overtrouble(v.)

also over-trouble, "to trouble excessively," 1580s, from over- + trouble (v.). Related: Overtroubled; overtroubling.

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perturb
late 14c., perturben, "disturb greatly, disturb mentally; cause disorder in," from Old French perturber "disturb, confuse" (14c.) and directly from Latin perturbare "to confuse, disorder, disturb," especially of states of the mind, from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "for
cark
"to be weighed down or oppresssed by cares or worries, be concerned about" (archaic), early 12c., a figurative use, via Anglo-French from Old North French carkier "to load, burden," from Late Latin carcare "to load a wagon or cart," from Latin carrus "wagon" (see car). Compare Ol
distract
late 14c., distracten, "to turn or draw (a person, the mind) aside or away from any object; divert (the attention) from any point toward another point," from Latin distractus, past participle of distrahere "draw in different directions," from dis- "away" (see dis-) + trahere "to
molest
late 14c., molesten, "to cause trouble, grief, or vexation, disturb, harass," from Old French molester "to torment, trouble..., bother" (12c.) and directly from Latin molestare "to disturb, trouble, annoy," from molestus "troublesome, annoying, unmanageable...
fike
Later as "give trouble, vex" (1570s), a sense surviving especially in Scottish....Hence also fikery "vexatious trouble" (1823); fiky "causing trouble about trifles" (1768)....
disease
early 14c., "discomfort, inconvenience, distress, trouble," from Old French desaise "lack, want; discomfort, distress; trouble...
pesterment
She cries, 'Don't thee trouble thyself, Neighbour: Let them play a little; I'll put all to rights myself before I go.'...Thus, Sir, I have all the Trouble and Pesterment of Children, without the pleasure of—calling them my own .......
agitate
1580s, "to disturb," from Latin agitatus, past participle of agitare "to put in constant or violent motion, drive onward, impel," frequentative of agere "to set in motion, drive, drive forward," figuratively "incite to action; keep in movement, stir up" (from PIE root *ag- "to dr
charge
early 13c., chargen, "to load, put a burden on or in; fill with something to be retained," from Old French chargier "to load, burden, weigh down," from Late Latin carricare "to load a wagon or cart," from Latin carrus "two-wheeled wagon" (see car). The senses of "entrust," "comma
pain
late 13c., peine, "the agony suffered by Christ;" c. 1300, "punishment," especially for a crime, "legal punishment of any sort" (including fines and monetary penalties); also "condition one feels when hurt, opposite of pleasure," including mental or emotional suffering, grief, di

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