ter

Forms

ter (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *tris, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *trís (“thrice”), from the stem of trēs (“three”).^[2][1][3] The OLD reconstructs ⟨*ters⟩ from ⟨*tris⟩, and Wiktionary an earlier ⟨terr⟩.^[3][1] Cognate with Sanskrit त्रिस् (trís, “thrice”) and Ancient Greek τρίς (trís, “thrice”).^[4][1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler first records it in the Twelve Tables.^[5] De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^[2] and Ennius' Medea says ter sub armīs mālim vītam cernere quam semel modo parere, “I would rather risk my life in battle three times than give birth once”.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

Ter is “three times, on three occasions”, often of acts repeated in ritual (Virgil, Ovid).^[3][1] Bis terque and terque quaterque mean “again and again”, while bis terve is “two or three times, only a few times” (Cicero: Appius had written to him bis terve).^[3] As a multiplier it is “thrice” (ter centum, ter dēnī, sometimes written as one word), and with adjectives it exaggerates, “three times as” (Plautus: ter tantō peior, “three times worse”).^[3][4] Wiktionary also notes its symbolic use for a sacred or complete number.^[1]

Church Latin glosses it “three times, thrice”.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use it.^[5]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius: ter sub armīs mālim vītam cernere.^[3][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ter tantō peior.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero: bis terve.^[3][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Three times, thrice.^[3][4][1][6]
2. (bis terque, terque quaterque) repeatedly, again and again.^[3][1]
3. (bis terve) Only a few times.^[3]
4. (with numerals or adjectives) Three times as; trebly.^[3][4]

Word family

• terdeni
• teriugus
• terrūncius

Related words

• trēs
• tertius
• ternī
• bis

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson