Etymograph

English

intrication

Intrication comes from French intrication ‘entanglement’, and goes back to Latin trīcae ‘trifles’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrīcae1‘trifles’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintricō2‘to entangle, perplex, embarrass’
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentintriquer2‘to entangle’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentintrication3‘entanglement’
  5. Englishtodayintrication3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin intrico
  2. 2 Wiktionary, French intrication
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English intrication

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrīcaeWiktionary, Latin intrico‘trifles’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintricōWiktionary, French intrication‘to entangle, perplex, embarrass’
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentintriquerWiktionary, French intrication‘to entangle’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentintricationWiktionary, English intrication‘entanglement’
  5. EnglishtodayintricationWiktionary, English intrication

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ter- ‘to rub’

term, thrill, tram, thro, 35 more

through Latin trīcae ‘trifles’

treachery, inextricable, 3 more

Today it means

noun Entanglement or intricacy

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “intrication”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin intrico, French intrication. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin trīcae / intrication

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