What did the word travel originally mean?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the first known use of the word travel was in the 14th century. It also states that the word comes from Middle English travailen, travelen (which means to torment, labor, strive, journey) and earlier from Old French travailler (which means to work strenuously, toil).



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Traveling comes from the Old French word travil, meaning “suffering or painful effort” or “trouble” as in traveling a long distance in a covered wagon.

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Taxidi – the Greek word for trip or journey.

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First people who started to travel for enjoyment only were, I'm sure you won't be surprised, old Romans. Wealthy Romans would often go to their summer villas. And it was purely for leisure. They could, of course, start doing that because they invented something quite crucial for travelling – roads.

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A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place.

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Mercury, Latin Mercurius, in Roman religion, god of shopkeepers and merchants, travelers and transporters of goods, and thieves and tricksters. He is commonly identified with the Greek Hermes, the fleet-footed messenger of the gods.

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Etymology. From Middle English travelen (“to make a laborious journey, travel”) from Middle Scots travailen (“to toil, work, travel”), alteration of Middle English travaillen (“to toil, work”), from Old French travailler (“to trouble, suffer, be worn out”).

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(US English) -ing form traveling. /'trævl??/ /'trævl??/ Idioms. [intransitive, transitive] to go from one place to another, especially over a long distance.

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The first evidence of human travel comes from the migration of Homo erectus from Africa to Eurasia over a million years ago. Quite logically, our ancestors traveled in search of food, water and better living conditions (we still do).

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