English
triumphal
Triumphal comes from Latin triumphālis ‘of or pertaining to a triumph (celebration)’, and goes back to Ancient Greek θρῐ́ᾰμβος ‘a hymn to Bacchus’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEθρῐ́ᾰμβος1‘a hymn to Bacchus’
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEtriumpus1by way of Etruscan *𐌈𐌓𐌉𐌀𐌌𐌐𐌄
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtriumphus2‘triumpe’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtriumphālis3‘of or pertaining to a triumph (celebration)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500triumphal3
- Englishearliest quotation 1667triumphal3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin triumphus
- 2 Wiktionary, Latin triumphalis
- 3 Wiktionary, English triumphal
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1667, John Milton, Book X: “so near Heaven's door Triumphal with triumphal act have…”.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEθρῐ́ᾰμβοςWiktionary, Latin triumphus‘a hymn to Bacchus’
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEtriumpusWiktionary, Latin triumphusby way of Etruscan *𐌈𐌓𐌉𐌀𐌌𐌐𐌄
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtriumphusWiktionary, Latin triumphalis‘triumpe’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtriumphālisWiktionary, English triumphal‘of or pertaining to a triumph (celebration)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500triumphalWiktionary, English triumphal
- Englishearliest quotation 1667triumphalWiktionary, English triumphal. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1667, John Milton, Book X: “so near Heaven's door Triumphal with triumphal act have…”
Linked words
through Latin triumphus ‘triumpe’
Today it means
adj Of, relating to, or being a triumph.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “triumphal”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin triumphus, Latin triumphalis. 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 / Ancient Greek θρῐ́ᾰμβος / triumphal