Etymology
1. 1377, "to go about, stroll," later (c.1425) "roll from side to side, trundle," from O.Fr.
troller, a hunting term, "wander, to go in quest of game without purpose," from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G.
trollen "to walk with short steps"), from P.Gmc.
*truzlanan. Sense of "sing in a full, rolling voice" (first attested 1575) and that of "fish with a moving line" (1606) are both extended technical applications of the general sense of "roll, trundle," the latter perhaps confused with trail or trawl. Fig. sense of "to draw on as with a moving bait, entice, allure" is from 1565. Meaning "to cruise in search of sexual encounters" is recorded from 1967, originally in homosexual slang.
2. The verb is derived from Middle English trollen (“to go about, wander; to move (something) to and fro, rock; to roll; to turn”) [and other forms], of uncertain origin; perhaps in part from Old French troller (“to run here and there; to walk aimlessly, ramble, stroll; (hunting) to wander about looking for game”) (modern French troller); further etymology uncertain, yet probably from or related to Middle High German trollen (“to stroll, walk with short strides”) (modern German trollen (“to move slowly, trundle; to push off, toddle off”)), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *truzlōną (“to lumber”), which is probably related to *trudaną (“to step on, tread”) (see further at etymology 1). Doublet of trull.
3. Verb etymology 2, verb sense 4.2.2 (“to fish using a line and bait or lures trailed behind a boat”) is possibly influenced by trail and/or trawl.
4. The noun is probably derived from the verb. Noun etymology 2, noun sense 4 (“person who makes or posts inflammatory or insincere statements in an attempt to lure others into combative argument”) is possibly influenced by troll (etymology 1).
5. Cognates
6. * Middle Low German drullen (“to stroll”) (Low German trullen (“to troll”)) See: Middle English '
trollen', French '
troller', Middle High German '
trollen', German, old spelling '
trollen', Low Saxon 'trullen'.
Verbs referencing "troll"
Dutch
trollen, German, old spelling
trollen, Italian
trollare, Spanish
trolear, Ukrainian
тролити, Russian
троллить.