tricennal

English

Etymology

From mistaken use of Medieval Latin trīcennāle, neuter substantive of Latin trīcennālis (“tricennial”), from trīcennium (“30-year period”) +‎ -ālis (“-al: forming adjectives”), from trīcennis (“30-year”) + -ium (“-ium: forming abstract nouns”), from trīciēs (“30 times”) + annus (“year”) + -is (“forming compound adjectives”). Doublet of tricennial.

Noun

tricennal (plural tricennals)

1. (Christianity, obsolete) Synonym of trental, set of 30 requiem masses, the payment for such services.
   • 1537, H. Latimer, Sermon to Clergie, E2:

     Your forefathers sawe somwhat, whiche made this constitution, against the venalitie and sale of Masses, that vnder peine of suspending, no priest shuld sell his sayinge of tricennals, or annals.

References

• “tricennal, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

French

Etymology

From Latin trīcennālis, from trīcennium (“30-year period”) +‎ -ālis (“-al: forming adjectives”), from trīcennis (“30-year”) + -ium (“-ium: forming abstract nouns”), from trīciēs (“30 times”) + annus (“year”) + -is (“forming compound adjectives”).

Adjective

tricennal (feminine tricennale, masculine plural tricennaux, feminine plural tricennales)

1. tricennial

Further reading

• “tricennal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.