An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/trödeln

by Friedrich Kluge

trödeln, verb, ‘to deal in second-hand goods, dawdle, loiter,’ from Middle High German *tretelen, which, with the nasalised form trendeln, is derived from the same root. Compare Middle High German tredel-, trendelmarket, equivalent to Modern High German Trödelmarkt, ‘rag-fair.’