late 14c., "to walk heavily," frequentative form of tramp (v.) + -el (3). Transitive sense "beat down by continuously treading on" is from mid-15c. Related: Trampled; trampling. As a noun from c. 1600.
Entries linking to trample
tramp v.
late 14c., "walk heavily, stamp," from Middle Low German trampen "to stamp," from Proto-Germanic *tremp- (source also of Danish trampe, Swedish trampa "to tramp, stamp," Gothic ana-trimpan "to press upon"), from PIE *der- (1) "to run, walk, step" (see tread (v.)). Related: Tramped; tramping.
-el 3
derivational suffix, also -le, used mostly with verbs but originally also with nouns, "often denoting diminutive, repetitive, or intensive actions or events" [The Middle English Compendium], from Old English. Compare brastlian alongside berstan (see burst); nestlian (see nestle) alongside nistan). It is likely also in wrestle, trample, draggle, struggle, twinkle, also noddle "to make frequent nods" (1733). New formations in Middle English might be native formations (jostle from joust) with this or borrowings from Dutch.
struggle v.
late 14c., of uncertain origin, probably a frequentative form with -el (3) (compare trample, wrestle), but the first element is of uncertain origin. Skeat suggests Old Norse strugr "ill will;" others suggest a connection to Dutch struikelen, German straucheln "to stumble." Related: Struggled; struggling.