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Glite Dictionary
🔤 Three-lettered 🔤 Three-letter root
triliteral

triliteral

1 9.9
Having three letters and used to describe a root in Arabic or Hebrew
  • adjective
  • /ˌtraɪˈlɪtərəl/
  • Specialized
: triliteral
  • Linguists often study words with a triliteral base to learn about language patterns.

Examples

  • Phonologically, both words are derived from triliteral roots: /w-sh-m/ and /w-s-m/.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The use of triliteral roots is a key feature in understanding Arabic grammar.

  • In Semitic languages, many words are formed from a triliteral root structure.

How Many Letters

triliteral
  • Specialized
1 9.9
biliteral
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Surface Forms

triliteral positive

Morphology

triliteral = literal (semi-transparent) = tri + literal

The numeric prefix 'tri-' is directly attached to the adjective 'literal' (relating to letters), forming a predictable compound meaning 'three-letter'.

Etymology

Triliteral comes from tri- 'three', as in triangle, and a part that means 'letter', as in letter or literature. So it describes something made of three letters, which is why we use it for three-letter roots in languages such as Hebrew and Arabic.