Where does “terne” come from?
terne (Old French) comes from Latin ternas, from Latin terni, from Latin ter, from Latin terr, from Old Latin tris, from Proto-Italic trēs, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes.
terne (Old French): dull, dim
Definitions
- dull, dim
Ancestry of “terne”, step by step
terne traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin ternas
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | ternas | accusative feminine plural of terni |
| 2 | Latin | terni | three each; three at a time |
| 3 | Latin | ter | thrice |
| 4 | Latin | terr | — |
| 5 | Old Latin | tris | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | trēs | three |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | *tréyes | — |
via Frankish darnī
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankish | darnī | hidden, secret; hidden, concealed; secret |