terə-

I. terə-¹

To rub, turn; with some derivatives referring to twisting, boring, drilling, and piercing; and others referring to the rubbing of cereal grain to remove the husks, and thence to the process of threshing either by the trampling of oxen or by flailing with flails. Oldest form *terə₁-, with variant *treə₁-, contracted to *trē-.

Derivatives include trite, detriment, thrash, trauma, and truant.

I. Full-grade form *ter(ə)-.

1.

a. trite, triturate; attrition, contrite, detriment, from Latin terere (past participle trītus), to rub away, thresh, tread, wear out;

b. teredo, from Greek terēdōn, a kind of biting worm.

2. Suffixed form *ter-et-. terete, from Latin teres (stem teret-), rounded, smooth.

3. Suffixed form *ter-sko-.

a. thrash, thresh, from Old English therscan, to thresh;

b. threshold, from Old English therscold, threscold, sill of a door (over which one treads; second element obscure). Both a and b from Germanic *therskan, *threskan, to thresh, tread.

II. O-grade form *tor(ə)-.

1. toreutics, from Greek toreus, a boring tool.

2. Suffixed form *tor(ə)-mo-, hole. derma², from Old High German darm, gut, from Germanic *tharma-.

3. Suffixed form *tor(ə)-no-. turn; attorn, attorney, contour, detour, return, from Greek tornos, tool for drawing a circle, circle, lathe.

III. Zero-grade form *tr-. drill¹, from Middle Dutch drillen, to drill, from Germanic *thr-.

IV. Variant form *trē- (< *treə-).

1. throw, from Old English thrāwan, to turn, twist, from Germanic *thrēw-.

2. Suffixed form *trē-tu-. thread, from Old English thrǣd, thread, from Germanic *thrēdu-, twisted yarn.

3. Suffixed form *trē-mn̥ (< *treə- or *tr̥ə-). monotreme, trematode, from Greek trēma, perforation.

4. Suffixed form *trē-ti- (< *treə- or *tr̥ə-). atresia, from Greek trēsis, perforation.

V. Extended form *trī- (< *triə-).

1. Probably suffixed form *trī-ōn-. septentrion, from Latin triō, plow ox.

2. Suffixed form *trī-dhlo-. tribulation, from Latin trībulum, a threshing sledge.

VI. Various extended forms

1. Forms *trō-, *trau-. trauma, from Greek trauma, hurt, wound.

2. Form *trīb-. diatribe, triboelectricity, tribology, trypsin, from Greek trībein, to rub, thresh, pound, wear out.

3. Form *trōg-, *trag-.

a. trogon, trout, from Greek trōgein, to gnaw;

b. dredge², from Greek tragēma, sweetmeat.

4. Form *trup-. trepan¹; trypanosome, from Greek trupē, hole.

5. Possible form *trūg-. truant, from Old French truant, beggar.

 

[Pokorny 3. ter- 1071.]

  II. terə-²

To cross over, pass through, overcome. Oldest form *terə₂-, with variant *treə₂-, colored to *traə₂-, contracted to *trā-.

Derivatives include thrill, nostril, and trench.

I. Zero-grade form *tr̥(ə)-.

1. thrill; nostril, from Old English thyr(e)l, thȳrel, a hole (< “a boring through”), from Germanic suffixed form *thur-ila-.

2. Suffixed form *tr̥ə-kʷe. thorough, through, from Old English thurh, thuruh, through, from Germanic *thurh.

3. Greek nektar (see nek-¹).

4. Zero-grade form *tr̥ə- and full-grade form *ter(ə)-. avatar, from Sanskrit tirati, tarati, he crosses over.

II. Variant form *trā- (< *traə-).

1. trans-, transient, transom, from Latin trāns, across, over, beyond, through (perhaps originally the present participle of a verb *trāre, to cross over).

2. Suffixed form *trā-yo-. seraglio, serai; caravansary, lamasery, from Iranian *thrāya-, to protect.

III. Possible extended form *tru-.

1. Suffixed form *tru-k-. truculent, from Latin trux (stem truc-), savage, fierce, grim (< “overcoming,” “powerful,” “penetrating”).

2. Suffixed nasalized zero-grade form *tru-n-k-o-. trench, truncate, trunk, from Latin truncus, deprived of branches or limbs, mutilated, hence trunk (? < “overcome, maimed”).

 

[Pokorny 5. ter- 1075.]

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