Where does “trenchantness” come from?

trenchantness (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.

trenchantness (English): Quality of being trenchant

Definitions

  1. Quality of being trenchant

Ancestry of “trenchantness”, step by step

trenchantness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English trenchant

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 Englishþrīthree
10Proto-West Germanicþrīʀthree
11Proto-Germanicþrīzthree
12Proto-Indo-European*tréyes

via English Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyesEvery word from Proto-Germanic þrīzEvery word from Proto-West Germanic þrīʀ