Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “trenchant” come from?

Trenchant comes from Old French trenchant, from Old French trenchier, from Vulgar Latin trinicare, from Latin trini, from Latin tres, meaning three, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European tréyes.

trenchant (English): Fitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp; Keen;...

Definitions

  1. Fitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp; Keen;...

Ancestry of “trenchant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchtrenchantsharp; razor sharp; present participle of...
2Old Frenchtrenchierto cut
3Vulgar Latintrinicarecut into three parts; cut in three parts
4Latintrininominative masculine plural of trīnus; genitive...
5Latintresthree; 3
6EnglishthreeA numerical value after two and before four....
7Middle Englishthrethree
8Old Englishþrī—
9Proto-West Germanicþrīʀthree
10Proto-Germanicþrīzthree
11Proto-Indo-European*tréyes—

Words derived from “trenchant”

  • trenchantly
  • intrenchant
  • trenchantness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes →