Trigram
/ˈtraɪ.ɡræm/noun
A group or sequence of three letters, symbols, signs, or units.
Did you know?In the I Ching, the 64 hexagrams are built from eight symbolic trigrams, each made of three lines representing forces such as heaven, earth, fire, and water.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tréyes
“Three”
Ancient Greek
Greek
treîs (τρεῖς)
“Three”
Ancient Greek
Greek
grammḗ (γραμμή)
“A line, stroke, or written mark”
Ancient Greek
Greek
tríggrammon (τρίγραμμα)
“Something written with three marks or letters”
19th Century
English
trigram
“A group of three letters or symbols”
Modern English
English
trigram
“A three-unit sequence used in writing, coding, linguistics, and symbolic systems”