Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “trenchantly” come from?

trenchantly (English) comes from English trenchant, from Old French trenchant, from Old French trenchier, from Vulgar Latin trinicare, from Latin trini, from Latin tres, from English three, from Middle English thre.

trenchantly (English): In a trenchant manner

Definitions

  1. In a trenchant manner

Ancestry of “trenchantly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtrenchantFitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp; Keen;...
2Old Frenchtrenchantsharp; razor sharp; present participle of...
3Old Frenchtrenchierto cut
4Vulgar Latintrinicarecut into three parts; cut in three parts
5Latintrininominative masculine plural of trīnus; genitive...
6Latintresthree; 3
7EnglishthreeA numerical value after two and before four....
8Middle Englishthrethree
9Old Englishþrī—
10Proto-West Germanicþrīʀthree
11Proto-Germanicþrīzthree
12Proto-Indo-European*tréyes—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes →