English
triptych
Triptych comes from Ancient Greek τρίπτυχος ‘consisting of three layers, threefold’, from πτυχή ‘a fold’, and ultimately from πτῠ́σσω.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπτῠ́σσω‘to fold’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπτυχήptukhḗ‘a fold’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEτρίπτυχοςtríptukhos‘consisting of three layers, threefold’
- Englishearliest quotation 1994triptych
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπτῠ́σσω‘to fold’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπτυχήptukhḗ‘a fold’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEτρίπτυχοςtríptukhos‘consisting of three layers, threefold’
- Englishearliest quotation 1994triptych
Earliest quotation: 1994, John L. Brooke, The Refiner’s Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology: “Witchcraft, heresy, and counterfeiting formed a triptych in popular…”
Every English word from Ancient Greek πτῠ́σσω
Today it means
noun A picture or series of pictures painted on three tablets connected by hinges.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek πτῠ́σσω / triptych