Etymologically
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tripertitus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [trɪ.pɛrˈtiː.tʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [tri.perˈtiː.tus][1]

Forms

tripertītus (feminine tripertīta, neuter tripertītum, adverb tripertītō); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin tri- (“three”) + partītus (“divided”), the perfect participle of partiō (“to share, divide”);[2][3] it is also spelled ⟨tripart-⟩.[2][4] De Vaan lists it, from Varro on, among the derivatives of pars (“part”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Georges record it first in Varro.[5][4]

Semantic evolution

It means “divided into three parts, threefold”, a rare word but used in good prose.[2][6] Cicero writes that a part of his case will be divided into three in the accusation, and of the shores of the world marked out in three regions.[6][7] Seneca says that philosophy is threefold, Tacitus speaks of an army in three divisions, and the Institutes of Justinian of private law as tripartite.[6][7][4]

As a title, Tripertīta was a legal work by Sextus Aelius and a comedy by Novius.[6][4]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[5][4][8]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero divides a part of his case into three.[6][8]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca calls philosophy threefold.[7][8]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus speaks of an army in three divisions.[6][8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Divided into three parts, tripartite, threefold.[2][6][4]

Usage notes

The adverb is tripertītō, “in three parts”.[6][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de