Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “tri-” come from?

tri- (Latin) comes from Latin trēs, from Proto-Italic trēs, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes.

tri- (Latin): three, tri-

Definitions

  1. three, tri-

Ancestry of “tri-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latintrēs—
2Proto-Italictrēsthree
3Proto-Indo-European*tréyes—

Words derived from “tri-”

  • trivial
  • travail
  • trinity
  • trigeminal
  • tricuspid
  • triphosphate
  • triglyceride
  • trivia
  • tricyclic
  • triune
  • nontrivial
  • triviality
  • triplicate
  • trisomy
  • trine
  • tricolor
  • trivially
  • trioxide
  • triaxial
  • trimethoprim
  • trefoil
  • trivalent
  • trilateral
  • amitriptyline
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes →