tri (Serbo-Croatian)
Where does "tri" come from?
The Serbo-Croatian word 'tri' descends directly from the Proto-Slavic '*tri', which traces its roots back to the Proto-Balto-Slavic '*tríjes'. Ultimately, this numerical term originates from the Proto-Indo-European '*tréyes', a foundational root that has persisted across thousands of years to signify the number three.
Full etymology tree
- tri (Serbo-Croatian), 'three (3)'
- inherited *tri (Proto-Slavic)
- inherited *tríjes (Proto-Balto-Slavic), 'three'
- inherited *tréyes (Proto-Indo-European), 'three'
- inherited *tríjes (Proto-Balto-Slavic), 'three'
- inherited *tri (Proto-Slavic)
Ancestors
- *trьje (Proto-Slavic)
- *tríjes (Proto-Balto-Slavic)
- *tréyes (Proto-Indo-European)
Descendants and derived words
- trodnevni (Serbo-Croatian)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris