English
trefoil
Trefoil comes from Old French trifoil ‘trefoil (plant)’, and goes back to Latin folium ‘leaf’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfolium‘leaf’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrifolium‘trefoil, clover’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400trifoil‘trefoil (plant)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500trefoil
- Englishearliest quotation 2015same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfolium‘leaf’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrifolium‘trefoil, clover’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400trifoil‘trefoil (plant)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500trefoil
- Englishearliest quotation 2015same form
Earliest quotation: 2015, David DeMar, Ancient Pitcher Discovered in Historic Danish City: “The pristine, unbroken condition of the vessel – sometimes…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- ‘blossom, flower’
full, blood, blow, flower, blade, bless, fool, bloom, floral, bleed, flora, blossom, flourish, florist, fleur, ferret, flor, belladonna, 55 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰolh₃yom ‘leaf’
through Latin folium ‘leaf’
Today it means
noun Any of several plants of the pea family, having compound, trifoliate leaves; especially one of the genus Trifolium.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin folium / trefoil