What is the meaning of the word "trivial"? We are accustomed to using it exclusively in a negative way. But is it right to consider the expression "trivial" as a synonym for "banal", "primitive" or even "vulgar"? Where did this seemingly foreign word come from? In this article, we will consider several versions of the origin of the term, its further metamorphoses and rooting in the Russian language. Let's remember in what cases it is appropriate to use this word. We will also explore the question of why some science pedants consider the words "sugar", "s altpeter" or "strawberry" to be trivial expressions as well.
The first version of the origin of the term
All researchers agree that "triviality" is a Latin word with a Russian ending, inherent in nouns. The closest translation of the term trivialis is "by the three roads". What was oncrossroads in the ancient settlements of Europe? Historians claim that it was a place for fairs or a tavern. In such places, ordinary people gathered, discussed the news that everyone heard, and debates were held not at the highest oratorical level. Therefore, first in French, and then in other dialects, the expression "trivialis", that is, "crossroads at three roads", acquired an allegorical meaning. On the one hand, this is something simple, uncomplicated. But on the other - repeatedly repeated after smart people, worn out, beaten, unoriginal. Previously, in Russian, the term carried the semantic load "everyday", "ordinary", but then gradually acquired a negative connotation - "vulgar".
The second version of the origin of the term
Other researchers see the noble trivium at the root of the word "triviality". This is one of the levels of medieval classical education. When the boy mastered reading, writing and counting, he could enter, in modern terms, the "preparatory department" of the university. There he studied the "trivium" - the three free arts. Grammar is the basis of all knowledge. It included the study of literature and even mastering the art of versification. Rhetoric, according to Raban Mavr, made it possible to correctly and succinctly express one's thoughts (both in writing and in front of an audience), and also introduced the student to the basics of jurisprudence. It is also the art of drafting official documents and record keeping. And finally, dialectics, or logic, is the science of all sciences. Ability to think and debate. This isfree art was comprehended with the help of the works of Aristotle in the translation of Boethius. As you can see, there is nothing shameful in this origin of the word “trivial”. On the contrary, the one who mastered the trivium was already considered an extraordinary, learned person.
Defamation of term
Where did it come from that “triviality” is something banal, devoid of originality and novelty, something in which there is no flight of either thought or spirit? Do not forget that the trivium was only the first (and lowest) level in the education system of the Middle Ages. Next, the student studied "quadrivium" (quadrivium). This level included the four liberal arts - music, arithmetic, geometry and astronomy. It should be assumed that the medieval studios also had their own "hazing", expressed in a dismissive attitude towards the still "uncouth" comrades from junior courses. In the mouth of a well-trained cleric, a "trivial man" is one who has mastered only the trivium. That is, we are talking about a dropout with an incomplete higher education.
"Triviality": Meaning in Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics
In these areas of human knowledge, the term does not always have a negative connotation. If some substances or living organisms received their name even before the introduction of scientific nomenclature, which provides for the name of objects in accordance with their chemical composition, molecular structure or phylogenetic data, then they are considered "trivial". Such is sugar (α-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-fructofuranoside), drinkingsoda (sodium bicarbonate), strawberries (garden strawberries) or night blindness (caustic buttercup). In mathematics, triviality is some numbers that are close to zero. As well as arithmetic equations that operate on these numbers.
Use in colloquial speech
But "triviality" as a scientific term is an exception to the rule. In colloquial use, this word carries a clear semantic load. These are banal statements, beaten, worn out maxims. In relation to clothing, the term can mean mediocrity, lack of style and originality. Also, something simple or taken for granted is said to be trivial. A synonym for this expression in this case is “common place”. Sometimes shallow, banal thoughts are called trivial, when a person operates with stereotyped concepts. In Russian, this word has a connotation of vulgarity and earthiness. To say about a person that he is sheer triviality means to say that he is boring and uninteresting. Therefore, before calling your interlocutor that way, think about it, because he may be offended.
