trefaldig

Trefaldig is an adjective used in several Scandinavian languages, most notably Swedish and Norwegian, meaning threefold or triple. It describes something that is multiplied or repeated to three times its usual extent, such as a threefold increase, a threefold effect, or a threefold quantity. The term is common in mathematical, economic, literary, and theological contexts, as well as in everyday descriptions of proportions.

Etymology and related forms point to a combination of the words for three (tre/tri) and a suffix derived from faldig or -fold, indicating multiplicity or repetition. This makes trefaldig a close cognate of the English threefold and of analogous Germanic compounds. In usage, trefaldig often appears in compound phrases such as “trefaldig prisökning” (threefold price increase) or “trefaldig effekt” (threefold effect). In religious language, related forms appear in phrases and place names, for example in Trinity-related terms such as the Swedish Trefaldighetsdag, which corresponds to Trinity Sunday and reflects the sense of a threefold nature.

In Norwegian, a closely related form is trefoldig, and similar compounds are used to express the same idea of threefoldness. While trefaldig is most common in Swedish, the concept and the basic meaning are widely understood across Scandinavian languages. The term remains useful for precise descriptions of multiplicity, proportion, or symbolic significance in theological and literary contexts.