A prefix or combining element in more than thirty words, chiefly nouns and adjectives, borrowed from L or OF meaning 'three, triple' or 'triply, three times', for example: the nouns tre-foil, triangle, triari(e, triasandri, tricline, trident, triennal(e, triplacioun, triple, triplicite, tripod, and trisagium; the adjectives treble, triangulare, triapolitan, triduan, triforme, trimenstre, tripartite, triplat, triplicate, and trivial(le; and one verb, treblen. In addition, two nouns are derived from OE: trimes (ult. from L) and trivet (prob. reinforced by ONF). The prefix appears to have been active only rarely in ME. Of the words without direct counterparts in L, OF, or OE, the adjectives or participles treblefolde, tre-foiled, trianglid, and tripled come directly from the related ME nouns or adjectives, and the verb tripartiten comes from the related ME adjective. The adjective triptative is modeled on a L word, with influence from other ME words with similar suffix and related meaning. The noun trial (2) may be a ME creation, from tri- pref. and -al suf., perh. influenced by trinal adj., but it could as easily have been formed from L elements. The verb triparten could be from either tri- pref. and ME parten v. or OF triparti adj. Only the noun tripluralite unambiguously illustrates an active ME use of the prefix.