τρέω
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
τριάς
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
trias
English translation (word)
triad, group of three, the number three
Transliteration (Etymon)
treō
English translation (etymon)
to fear
Century
3-4 AD
Source
idem
Ref.
Theologoumena arithmeticae, p. 17
Ed.
V. de Falco, [Iamblichi] theologoumena arithmeticae, Leipzig: Teubner, 1922
Quotation
ὅτι τὴν τριάδα εὐσέβειαν καλοῦσι· διὸ καὶ τριὰς ὠνομάσθη παρὰ τὸ τρεῖν, τὸ δεδοικέναι καὶ εὐλαβεῖσθαι.
Translation (En)
For they call the triad "piety". And for that reason the triad (trias) was so named, from trein "to fear", to be full of fear and to be cautious
Modern etymology
Derivative of τρεῖς "three"
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG still has τριάδα "group of three", and Τριάδα "Trinity" as a religious word
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Derivational etymology, probably related to the religious and magical value of the number three. As a magical number, it is a dreadful number. Formally, the etymology is simple