Skip to main content

synonyms - Is there a similar word to 'twain' but meaning 'three' instead of 'two'?


I would like to split something into three parts. Is there a phrase I can use with similar overtones to "cleave in twain"?



Answer



As far as meaning goes, you can use "cleave in three" or "cleave in thirds". More obscure and inexact is "cleave in terciles" or tertiles. The latter two words are statistical terms referring to "three [ordered] parts, each containing a third of the population" and "any one of the three groups so divided".


The rationale for "cleave in three" and "cleave in thirds" is that twain means two. In its etymology we find it " survived as a secondary form of two" in various cases, and also "in oral use where it is necessary to be clear that two and not to or too is meant."


Regarding other suggestions: My understanding of the many senses of tierce is that while all of them are related to the number three, none of them would make any sense in a phrase like "*cleave in tierce". Trey means "a playing card with the rank of three" or "a score of three in cards, dice, or dominoes".


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is there a word/phrase for "unperformant"?

As a software engineer, I need to sometimes describe a piece of code as something that lacks performance or was not written with performance in mind. Example: This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. Based on my Google searches, this isn't a real word. What is the correct way to describe this? EDIT My usage of "performance" here is in regard to speed and efficiency. For example, the better the performance of code the faster the application runs. My question and example target the negative definition, which is in reference to preventing inefficient coding practices. Answer This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. In my opinion, reads more easily as: This coding style leads to unmaintainable and poorly performing code. The key to well-written documentation and reports lies in ease of understanding. Adding poorly understood words such as performant decreases that ease. In addressing the use of such a poorly ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is 'efficate' a word in English?

I routinely hear the word "efficate" being used. For example, "The most powerful way to efficate a change in the system is to participate." I do not find entries for this word in common English dictionaries, but I do not have an unabridged dictionary. I have checked the OED (I'm not sure if it is considered unabridged), and it has no entry for "efficate". It does have an entry for "efficiate", which is used in the same way. Wordnik has an entry for "efficate" with over 1800 hits, thus providing some evidence for the frequency of use. I personally like the word and find the meaning very clear and obvious when others use it. If it's not currently an "officially documented" word, perhaps its continued use will result in it being better documented.
Post a Comment
Read more