trousers (English)

Where does "trousers" come from?

The English word 'trousers' is attested since the 1610s from earlier 'trouzes', ultimately tracing back through Middle Irish 'triubus' meaning 'close-fitting shorts'[1]. This Irish term is likely borrowed from Anglo-Norman and Old French forms, which derive from Late Latin 'trabrugi' and ultimately from an early Germanic source such as Gothic '*þiuhbrōks'[1]. This Germanic compound combines Proto-Germanic '*þeuhą' meaning 'thigh' with '*brōks' meaning 'leggings, trousers'[1]. It is also a doublet of 'trews'[1].

Open questions

The ultimate origin of the Old Irish term tribus remains uncertain. [1]
The intrusive second r in the English word is potentially due to the influence of drawers. [1]

Full etymology tree

trousers (English), 'An article of clothing that covers the part of the body between the waist and the ankles or knees, and is divided into a separate part for each leg.'
- derived trouzes (English)
  - suffix trouse (English), 'trousers (or similar garments)'
    - borrowed triubus (Middle Irish)
      - inherited tribus (Old Irish)
        borrowed tribuz (Anglo-Norman)
        borrowed trebus (Old French)
        borrowed trebucs (Old Occitan)
        inherited trabrugi (Late Latin)
        borrowed *𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌱𐍂𐍉𐌺𐍃 (*þiuhbrōks) (Gothic)
        inherited *þeuhabrōks (Proto-Germanic), 'loincloth'
        compound *þeuhą (Proto-Germanic), 'thigh'
        inherited *tewk- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to become swollen, fat'
        compound *brōks (Proto-Germanic), 'crotch; rear end, rump, hindquarters'
        inherited *brāks (Proto-Germanic)
        inherited *bʰrāg- (Pre-Germanic)
        inherited *bʰreg- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to break'
  - suffix -s (English), 'Used to form regular plurals of nouns.'
- influenced by drawers (English), 'Clothing worn on the legs, especially that worn next to the skin, such as hose or breeches.'

Ancestors

*þeuhabrōks (Proto-Germanic)
*þeuhą (Proto-Germanic)

Cognates and doublets

trews (English)

Descendants and derived words

all mouth and no trousers (English)
all mouth and trousers (English)
all talk and trousers (English)
bell-bottomed trousers (English)
bell-bottom trousers (English)
combat trousers (English)
drainpipe trousers (English)
Dutchman's trousers (English)
harem trousers (English)
in short trousers (English)
long trousers (English)
overtrousers (English)

Related words

shirt (English)

Sources

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris