trivialis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [trɪ.wiˈaː.lɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [tri.viˈaː.lis]^[1]

Forms

triviālis (neuter triviāle); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin trivium (“crossroads”) + -ālis.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Quintilian speaks of commonplace knowledge.^[4][5] Köbler dates him c. 35–95/96 AD.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It properly meant belonging to the crossroads or public streets, and so found everywhere, common, commonplace, vulgar, a post-Augustan sense.^[4][2] Suetonius uses it of common performers from the circus and of everyday words, and Juvenal of a commonplace poem.^[5][7] Arnobius uses it in the sense threefold.^[5][7]

In medieval Latin it referred to the trivium, the course of grammar, logic and rhetoric.^[8] English trivial is recorded in the 1580s as ordinary and in the 1590s as insignificant.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of common knowledge.^[4][6]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it of common words.^[5][6]
• 297–310 AD – Arnobius uses it as threefold.^[5][6]
• 1580s – English trivial is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Common, commonplace, vulgar, trivial.^[2][1]
2. Threefold.^[5][1]
3. (Medieval Latin) Of the trivium.^[8]

Related words

• English trivial

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ 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