Editing Traffic (section)

== Etymology and types ==
[[File:George Bosche Produce Company wagon pulling out into traffic on Broadway near the corner of Cerre Street.jpg|thumb|Congestion in [[St. Louis, Missouri]], early 20th century]]
The word ''traffic'' originally meant "trade" (as it still does) and comes from the Old Italian verb ''trafficare'' and noun ''traffico''. The origin of the Italian words is unclear. Suggestions include [[Catalan language|Catalan]] ''trafegar'' "decant",<ref>{{cite book | chapter = traffic | year = 2013 | title = American Heritage Dictionary | edition = Fifth | chapter-url = http://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=traffic | access-date = 23 March 2014}}</ref> an assumed [[Vulgar Latin]] verb ''transfricare'' 'rub across',<ref name=etymonline>{{cite web | title = traffic (n.) | year = 2001–2014 | last = Harper | first = Douglas | work = Online Etymological Dictionary | url = http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=traffic&allowed_in_frame=0 | access-date = 23 March 2014}}</ref> an assumed [[Vulgar Latin]] combination of ''trans-'' and ''facere'' 'make or do',<ref name=etymonline/><ref name=OED>{{cite book | chapter = traffic, n. | title = OED Online | date = March 2014 | publisher = Oxford University Press }}</ref> [[Arabic]] ''tafriq'' 'distribution',<ref name=etymonline/> and Arabic ''taraffaqa'', which can mean 'seek profit'.<ref name=OED/> Broadly, the term covers many kinds of traffic including [[network traffic]], [[air traffic]], marine traffic and rail traffic, but it is often used narrowly to mean only road traffic.