An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Trotz

by Friedrich Kluge

Trotz, m., ‘boldness, obstinacy, defiance,’ from MidHG. (MidG.) trotz, of which the more usual forms are MidHG. tratz, trutz, m., ‘refractoriness’; allied to MidHG. tratzen, tretzen, ‘to defy,’ tratz, ‘insolent, defiant, obstinate.’ The word is unknown to OHG. and the other OTeut. dialects, but there is no reason to suppose that it has been borrowed. —