different between tremble vs totter

English

Etymology

From Middle English tremblen, from Old French trambler and its variants, from Vulgar Latin tremul?, a derivative of Classical Latin trem?; cf. also tremulus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t??mbl?/
• Hyphenation: trem?ble

Verb

tremble (third-person singular simple present trembles, present participle trembling, simple past and past participle trembled)

1. (intransitive) To shake, quiver, or vibrate.

2. (intransitive, figuratively) To fear; to be afraid.

Translations

Noun

tremble (plural trembles)

1. A shake, quiver, or vibration.

Translations

Related terms

• tremor
• tremulous
• tremblor

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t???bl/

Noun

tremble m (plural trembles)

1. aspen

Verb

tremble

1. first-person singular present indicative of trembler
2. third-person singular present indicative of trembler
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of trembler
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of trembler
5. second-person singular imperative of trembler

Further reading

• “tremble” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Middle English totren, toteren, from earlier *tolteren (compare dialectal English tolter (“to struggle, flounder”); Scots tolter (“unstable, wonky”)), from Old English tealtrian (“to totter, vacillate”), from Proto-Germanic *taltr?n?, a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *talt?n? (“to sway, dangle, hesitate”), from Proto-Indo-European *del-, *dul- (“to shake, hesitate”). Cognate with Dutch touteren (“to tremble”), Norwegian dialectal totra (“to quiver, shake”), North Frisian talt, tolt (“unstable, shaky”). Related to tilt.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?t?t?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?t??t?/
• Rhymes: -?t?(r)

Verb

totter (third-person singular simple present totters, present participle tottering, simple past and past participle tottered) (intransitive)

1. To walk, move or stand unsteadily or falteringly; threatening to fall.
2. (figuratively) To be on the brink of collapse.
3. (archaic) To collect junk or scrap.

Synonyms

• (move unsteadily): reel, teeter, toddle, stagger, sway

Derived terms

• teeter-totter
• totterer
• tottergrass
• tottering
• totteringly
• tottersome
• tottery

Translations

Noun

totter (plural totters)

1. An unsteady movement or gait.
2. (archaic) A rag and bone man.

Translations