The origin of the word "travel" is most likely lost to history. The term "travel" may originate from the Old
French word
travail, which means 'work'. 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).
English, people still occasionally use the words travail, which means struggle. According to Simon Winchester
in his
book The Best Travelers' Tales (2004), the words travel and travail both share an even more ancient root: a
Roman
instrument of torture called the tripalium (in Latin it means "three stakes", as in to impale). This link may
reflect
the extreme difficulty of travel in ancient times. Travel in modern times may or may not be much easier
depending upon
the destination.
Travel to Mount Everest, the Amazon rainforest, extreme tourism, and adventure travel are more
difficult forms of travel. Travel can also be more difficult depending on the method of travel, such as by
bus,
cruise
ship, or even by bullock cart.
