Patrol
mid 17th century (as a noun): from German Patrolle, from French patrouille, from patrouiller ‘paddle in mud’, from patte ‘paw’ + dialect ( gad)rouille ‘dirty water’.
wiktionary
From French patrouille, from Old French patrouille, patouille(“a night-watch”, literally “a tramping about”), from patrouiller, patouiller, patoiller(“to paddle or pudder in water, dabble with the feet, begrime, besmear”), from patte, pate(“paw, foot of an animal”), from Vulgar Latin *patta(“paw, foot”), from Frankish *patta(“paw, sole of the foot”), from Proto-Germanic *paþjaną, *paþōną(“to walk, tread, go, step, pace”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pent-, *(s)pat-(“path; to walk”), a variant of Proto-Indo-European *pent-, *pat-(“path; to go”); see find. Cognate with Dutch pad, patte(“paw”), Low German pedden(“to step, tread”), German patschen(“to splash, smack, dabble, waddle”), German Patsche(“a swatter, beater, paw, puddle, mire”). Related to pad, path.
From French patrouiller, from Old French patrouiller(“to paddle, paw about, patrol”), from patte(“a paw”)
etymonline
patrol (n.)
1660s, "action of going the rounds" (of a military camp, etc.), from French patrouille "a night watch" (1530s), from patrouiller "go the rounds to watch or guard," originally "tramp through the mud," probably soldiers' slang, from Old French patouiller "paddle in water," which is probably from pate "paw, foot" (see patten). Compare paddlefoot, World War II U.S. Army slang for "infantry soldier." Meaning "those who go on a patrol" is from 1660s. Sense of "detachment of soldiers sent out to scout the countryside, the enemy, etc." is attested from 1702.
patrol (v.)
"to go the rounds in a camp or garrison, march about as a guard," 1690s, from patrol (n.) and in part from French patrouiller. Related: Patrolled; patrolling.
