From Middle High German trampeln. Equivalent to trampen + -eln (frequentative suffix). The unshifted -mp- is regular in Central and Low German, but is invariably found in Upper German dialects, too. The onomatopoetic character of the verb does not sufficiently explain this, particularly as Upper German has a shifted ablaut variant trumpfen (“to trample”). Perhaps trampen, trampeln were originally northern and moved southwards during the Middle Ages. Cognate with Dutch trampelen, Middle Low German trampeln, from which English trample.
trampeln (weak, third-person singular present trampelt, past tense trampelte, past participle getrampelt, auxiliary haben or sein)
infinitive | trampeln | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
present participle | trampelnd | ||||
past participle | getrampelt | ||||
auxiliary | haben or sein | ||||
indicative | subjunctive | ||||
singular | plural | singular | plural | ||
present | ich trample ich trampele ich trampel |
wir trampeln | i | ich trampele ich trample |
wir trampeln |
du trampelst | ihr trampelt | du trampelest du tramplest |
ihr trampelet ihr tramplet | ||
er trampelt | sie trampeln | er trampele er trample |
sie trampeln | ||
preterite | ich trampelte | wir trampelten | ii | ich trampelte1 | wir trampelten1 |
du trampeltest | ihr trampeltet | du trampeltest1 | ihr trampeltet1 | ||
er trampelte | sie trampelten | er trampelte1 | sie trampelten1 | ||
imperative | trample (du) trampel (du) trampele (du) |
trampelt (ihr) |
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.