Triplex
/ˈtrɪplɛks/noun
Having three parts, layers, or components.
Did you know?The ending “-plex” comes from Latin plicare, “to fold,” the same root behind English “ply,” so triplex originally suggests something folded or arranged threefold.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tréyes
“Three; the ancestral numeral behind many Indo-European words for three.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
tres
“Three; the Latin numeral descended from the same Indo-European root.”
Classical Latin
Latin
plicare
“To fold or bend; the source of the combining form related to “-plex.””
Classical Latin
Latin
triplex
“Threefold or consisting of three parts, formed from tri- (“three”) and a form related to plicare (“fold”).”
17th Century
English
triplex
“A learned borrowing used in English for something threefold or made of three layers.”
Modern English
English
triplex
“Threefold; also used for an object or structure composed of three layers or units.”