trilingual (trilinggwal)

[Cf. F. Sp. Pg. It. trilingue; The much-noted Rosetta stone bears upon its surface a trilingual inscription. Is. Taylor. trilinguar (tri-ling'gwär), a . Same as trilingual . Trilisa (tril'i-sä), n. [NL. (Ca ini, 1818): an anagram of Liatris .] A genus of composite plants, of the tribe Eupatoriaceæ and subtribe Adenostyleæ. It is distinguished from the related genus Liatris by its broad corymbose panicle of small flower heads, with their membranous involucral bracts forming only two or three rows and but slightly unequal. The 2 species are both natives of North America, growing in damp pine-barrens from Virginia south and west. They are erect perennials with alternate entire clasping leaves, those from the root very much elongated. T. ( Liatris ) odor at is sima is known as wild vanilla (which see, under vanilla ), and is also called deer's - tongue . triliteral (tri-lite-ral), a. and n. [L. tres ( tri- ), three, + liter a, litter a, letter: see literal. ] I. a. Consisting of three letters, as a word or syllable; also, of or pertaining to what consists of three letters. Repeating at the same time the triliteral syllable AUM. J. F. Clarke, Ten Great Religions, iii. 5. Triliteral languages, the Semitic family of tongues: so triliteralism (literal three literal II. n. A word consisting of letters. +-ism.] The use of triliteral roots; the tendency toward tri literality. Triliteralism is so prevalent a law in this family [Semitic languages] that sometimes there is a semblance of arti ficial effort to preserve the triliteral form. Amer . Jour . Philol . , X. 229.