LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

trīcae

trīcae f pl (genitive trīcārum)

Meaning

  1. pluralplural onlytrifles, toys, trumpery
  2. pluralplural onlyhindrances, impediments

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominative—trīcae
genitive—trīcārum
dative—trīcīs
accusative—trīcās
ablative—trīcīs
vocative—trīcae

trīcae, ārum, f. acc. to Plin. 3, 11, 16, § 104, orig. Trīca, ae, f., like Apina, the name of a small town in Apulia; but cf. Sanscr. trkvan, thief; and Lat. tricor, extricare, etc.; hence, prov.,
I. trifles, toys, trumpery, stuff, nonsense.
I. Lit.: sunt apinae tricaeque et siquid vilius istis, Mart. 14, 1, 7: Gri. Quid dare velis? Eloquere propere. La. Nummos trecentos. Gri. Tricas. La. Quadringentos. Gri. Tramas putridas, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 36.—
II. Transf., hinderances, vexations, perplexities, subterfuges, quirks, wiles, tricks: judicia, lites, turbas, tricas, Turp. ap. Non. 8, 26; cf.: quomodo illa (Tullia) fert publicam cladem, quomodo domesticas tricas! Cic. Att. 10, 8, 9: nihil mihi opus est litibus neque tricis, Plaut. Pers. 4, 3, 62; 5, 2, 18: quas tu mihi tricas narras? id. Curc. 5, 2, 15: quin tu istas mittis tricas, id. Most. 3, 1, 45; Varr. ap. Non. 8, 29; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 5, 2; cf.: trico, tricor, and tricosus.

Origins

Of uncertain origin: * Some refer it to a k-extension of Proto-Indo-European *ter- (“to rub”), whence terō (“to rub”), trīticum (“wheat”), intertrīgō (“sore place from rubbing”). This assumes an original meaning and sense development of "crumbs, seeds" > "trifles" > "tricks". * Others derive the word from Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- (“to turn”), whence Latin torqueō (“to spin, twist”). * Another theory compares Tocharian B traiksa (“missed, did not succeed”), triśäm̥ (“must miss”), though the Tocharian has multiple possible reconstructions, rendering this particularly speculative.

Descendants
  • Italiantrica

In English words that came into English from trīcae

  • intrigueintrīcō
  • intricateintrīcātus
  • extricateextrīcātus
  • inextricableinextricabilis

Quick answers

What does trīcae mean in Latin?
trīcae, a noun, means “trifles, toys, trumpery; hindrances, impediments”.
What is the genitive of trīcae?
The genitive singular is trīcārum. trīcae is feminine, first declension.
Which English words come from trīcae?
English words that go back to Latin trīcae include intrigue, intricate, extricate and inextricable.