Etymology of the English word trefoil
the English word
trefoilderived from the Anglo-French word
trifoilderived from the Latin word
trifoliumusing the Latin prefix
tri-derived from the Classical Latin word
tres (three)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*trei-derived from the Late Latin word
folium (leaf)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*bhel-Date
The earliest known usage of trefoil in English dates from the 14th century.
Cognates
French
trèfle, German
Treff, Italian
trifoglio, Latin
trifolium, Provençal
trefueil, Spanish
trifolio
