Where does “tricuspid” come from?
I need to work through this carefully, as the chain provided seems problematic.
The chain given is:
- English cuspid | Latin cuspis | Latin tres | English three | Proto-Indo-European tréyes | Proto-Indo-European tréyes | Proto-West Germanic þrīʀ | Proto-Germanic þrīz
This chain doesn't make logical sense. It appears to mix:
1. A path from "cuspid" (Latin cuspis = point/sharp)
2. Then jumps to "tres/three" (meaning three)
3. Then continues with the "three" etymology
The word "tricuspid" should derive from:
- Latin "tri-" (three) + "cuspid-" (from cuspis, point)
So the actual chain should be something like: English tricuspid ← Latin tricuspis ← Latin tri-
tricuspid (English): Having three cusps, e.g. a molar tooth;...
Definitions
- Having three cusps, e.g. a molar tooth;...
Ancestry of “tricuspid”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | tri- | API; three; Used in combination with a known... |
| 2 | Sanskrit | त्रि | three |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | tráyas | three |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | tráyas | three |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *tréyes | — |
Words derived from “tricuspid”