Trivial
/ˈtrɪv.i.əl/noun
Of little importance or significance; commonplace.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *trivialis*, literally “of the crossroads,” from *tri-* “three” + *via* “road,” because places where three roads met were public, ordinary, and exposed to everyone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*trei-
“three”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wegh-
“to go, move, travel”
Latin
Latin
trivium
“a place where three roads meet; a crossroads”
Latin
Latin
triviālis
“common, ordinary; of the crossroads”
Old French
Old French
trivial
“commonplace, ordinary”
Late Middle English
English
trivial
“ordinary, of little worth or importance”