Etymology: < Middle French, French patrouille round made by soldiers (1559; 1538 in sense ‘splashing about’), group of soldiers making such rounds (1671) < patrouiller (see patrol v.).The French word was borrowed into many European languages during the early modern period (either directly or indirectly); compare Italian pattuglia (1565), Spanish patrulla (1646), Portuguese patrulha (late 16th cent.), also Dutch patrouille (1591), German Patrouille (early 17th cent. as Patrolle), Swedish patrull (1627), Russian patrul′ (18th cent.). In English, as apparently in some of the other languages, the noun is attested before the verb.

Etymology: < Middle French, French patrouiller to paddle or puddle in the mud (1596; 15th cent. in sense ‘to handle inappropriately’), to go on patrol (1553), alteration of patouiller to paddle, splash about (c1175 in Old French) < patte patte n. + -ouiller, suffix forming verbs which often have a derogatory, diminutive, or frequentative sense, chiefly in slang. The military use was probably at first French military slang, patrolling consisting often of tramping through mire and wet.The French word was borrowed into many European languages (either directly or indirectly), but in most cases after the noun (compare patrol n.). Compare Italian pattugliare (a1764), Spanish patrullar (1728), Portuguese patrulhar (1783), also Dutch patrouilleeren, German patrouillieren (18th cent. also patrollieren), Swedish patrullera (17th cent.; also patroullera).