Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tricolor” come from?

Tricolor comes from Latin tri- combined with Latin color, ultimately tracing through Proto-Indo-European tréyes meaning three and ḱel- meaning to perceive or distinguish.

tricolor (English): Having three colors; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Having three colors; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “tricolor”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcolorThe spectral composition of visible light; A...
2Frenchcouleurcolor, colour; a flush; suit
3Italiancolorecolor, colour; hue; pip
4Polishkolorcolour; suit; flush
5Latincolorcolour, shade; color; pigment; complexion
6Ancient Greekμέτρονsomething used to measure: measure, rule, weight;...
7Ancient Greek-τρονForms instrument nouns
8Proto-Hellenic-tronForms instrument nouns from verb stems
9Proto-Indo-European-tromForms nouns denoting a tool or instrument
10Proto-Indo-European-tḗrDerives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...

Words derived from “tricolor”

  • tricolorous
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr →