By John Mattingly The word trump came into common usage in the early 1500s as a derivative of triumph and trompe, Germanic and Old French respectively. Use of the word trump peaked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, slumping in the mid-to-late 20th century, and finally enjoying a usage boost starting in the early 21st century, primarily as a proper name. In the last five years, the word trump has seen an exponential explosion of usage in all languages, and may even be used to describe a cultural era of political surprises. “Truth used to be easier, before…
