An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/trödeln

by Friedrich Kluge

trödeln, vb., ‘to deal in second-hand goods, dawdle, loiter,’ from MidHG. *tretelen, which, with the nasalised form trendeln, is derived from the same root. Comp. MidHG. tredel-, trendelmarket, equiv. to ModHG. Trödelmarkt, ‘rag-fair.’