trisulcus

Forms

trisulcus (feminine trisulca, neuter trisulcum); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Fulgentius of Ruspe has a third-declension form trisulcis.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin tri- (“three”) + sulcus (“furrow”), with the combining form of trēs.^[3][1][4] Sulcus goes back to Proto-Italic *solko- and Proto-Indo-European *solk-o- (“furrow”).^[5] The older bisulcus (“forked”) is formed in the same way.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it first in Virgil,^[4] who uses it of a snake's lingua trisulca, “three-forked tongue”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

It means divided into three forks or prongs, and apparently also into three rows.^[3] Besides the snake's tongue in Virgil and Pliny the Elder, Ovid calls Jupiter's thunderbolt telum trisulcum and lightning ignes trisulci, and Palladius has a three-pronged branch.^[2][6] Prudentius uses it figuratively of the forked speech of the serpent in Paradise.^[2] Aldhelm has wounds trisulcis in his riddle on the leech.^[7]

Timeline

• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a snake's three-forked tongue.^[2][4]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid applies it to Jupiter's thunderbolt.^[6]
• 348/49–c. 413 AD – Prudentius uses it of the serpent's speech in Paradise.^[2]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it in his riddle on the leech.^[7][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Divided into three forks or prongs, three-forked, three-pointed; also in three rows.^[3][2]
2. (figurative) Threefold, triple.^[2]

Related words

• bisulcus
• sulcō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press