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Origin and history of truckle

truckle(n.)

"small wheel, caster, or roller used in moving large objects," late 14c., trokel, from Anglo-French trocle, from Latin trochlea "a small wheel, sheaf of a pulley," from Greek trokhileia "a system of pulleys," from trokhos "wheel, circlet, potter's wheel, round cake, etc." This is a derivative of trekhein "to run," source also of truck (n.1) and trochee, the "running foot." The Greek word is reconstructed to be from PIE root *dhregh- "to run, hurry" (source also of Old Irish droch "wheel," Lithuanian drožti "to run fast").

Truckle bed "small bed on wheels that can be stowed under a larger bed" is attested from mid-15c.

truckle(v.)

"give up or submit to the will of another, be tamely subordinate," 1650s (implied in truckling), a figurative use, originally "sleep in a truckle bed" (1610s, see truckle (n.)).

The figurative meaning "give precedence, assume a submissive position" is perhaps in reference to that type of bed being used by servants and inferiors or simply occupying the lower position. Related: Truckled; truckler.

also from 1650s

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trochee(n.)

in English prosody a metrical foot consisting of a long followed by a short syllable, or an accented followed by an unaccented one, 1580s, from French trochée, from Latin trochaeus "a trochee," from Greek trokhaios (pous), literally "a running (foot)," from trekhein "to run" (see truckle (n.)). Its rapid movement rendered it a fit accompaniment to dances.

The English trochee is, in fact, rather an uncanny foot .... It is (let us remember our Anglo Saxon) Lilith—older than Eve, in a manner—dethroned by her, but never quite forsaken ; "kittle" to deal with, but of magical and witching attractions when taken in a kind and coming mood. [George Saintsbury, viewing it with the iamb in "History of English Prosody," 1908]
truck(n.1)

[vehicle] 1610s, originally "small solid wheel or roller" (especially one on which the carriages of a ship's guns were mounted), said to be probably from Latin trochus "iron hoop," from Greek trokhos "wheel," from trekhein "to run" (see truckle (n.)).

The sense was extended to "cart for carrying heavy loads" (1774), especially strong and heavy two- and four-wheeled vehicles with a low body; then in American English to "motor vehicle for carrying heavy loads" (1902), a shortened form of motor truck in this sense, which is attested by 1901.

There have also been lost to the enemy 6,200 guns, 2,550 tanks and 70,000 trucks, which is the American name for lorries, and which, I understand, has been adopted by the combined staffs in North-West Africa in exchange for the use of the word petrol in place of gasolene. [Winston Churchill, address to joint session of U.S. Congress, May 19, 1943]
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fawn
"young deer," mid-14c., from Anglo-French (late 13c.), Old French (12c.) faon, feon "young animal," especially "young deer," from Vulgar Latin *fetonem (nominative *feto), from Latin fetus "a bringing forth; an offspring" (from suffixed form of PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck"). It wa
soften
late 14c., softenen, transitive, "mitigate, diminish" sorrow, etc., from soft (adj.) + -en (1). The meaning "make physically soft" is from c. 1400; the intransitive sense of "to become (physically) soft or softer" is attested from early 15c. The earlier verb was soft (v.) "make s
blandish
mid-14c., "to flatter," from Old French blandiss-, present-participle stem of blandir "to flatter, caress," from Latin blandiri "flatter, soothe, caress, coax," from blandus "smooth-talking, flattering, alluring," perhaps from PIE root *mel- (1) "soft." OED reports it rare in 17c
today
Old English todæge, to dæge "on (this) day," from to "at, on" (see to) + dæge, dative of dæg "day" (see day). Meaning "in modern times" is from c. 1300. As a noun from 1530s. Generally written as two words until 16c., after which it usually was written to-day until early 20c. Sim
yield
Old English gieldan (West Saxon), geldan (Anglian) "to pay, pay for; reward, render; worship, serve, sacrifice to" (class III strong verb; past tense geald, past participle golden), from Proto-Germanic *geldan "pay" (source also of Old Saxon geldan "to be worth," Old Norse gjaldo
relent
late 14c., relenten, Anglo-French relenter, "to melt, soften in substance, dissolve," ultimately from re- in some sense + Latin lentus "slow, viscous, supple" (see lithe), perhaps on model of Old French rallentir, "but the immediate source is not clear" [OED]. Figurative sense of
flatter
c. 1200, flateren, flaterien, "seek to please or gratify (someone) by undue praise, praise insincerely, beguile with pleasing words," from Old French flater "to deceive; caress, fondle; prostrate, throw, fling (to the ground)" (13c.), probably from a Germanic source, perhaps from
bed
Old English bedd "bed, couch, resting place; garden plot," from Proto-Germanic *badja- (source also of Old Frisian, Old Saxon bed, Middle Dutch bedde, Old Norse beðr, Old High German betti, German Bett, Gothic badi "bed"). This is said to mean perhaps "sleeping place dug in the g
hyperbole
"obvious exaggeration in rhetoric," early 15c., from Latin hyperbole, from Greek hyperbole "exaggeration, extravagance," literally "a throwing beyond," from hyper- "beyond" (see hyper-) + bole "a throwing, a casting, the stroke of a missile, bolt, beam," from bol-, nominative ste
Viking
Scandinavian pirate, 1801, vikingr, in "The History of the Anglo-Saxons" by English historian Sharon H. Turner; he suggested the second element might be connected to king: But this later was dismissed as incorrect. The form viking is attested in 1820, in Jamieson's notes to "The

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