What is the meaning of the word "triviality"? We are used to using it exclusively in a negative way. But is it legitimate to consider the expression “trivial” as a synonym for “banal”, “primitive” or even “vulgar”? Where did this apparently 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. Remember, in which cases it is appropriate to use this word. And also we will study the question of why some pedants from science use the words “sugar”, “saltpeter” or “strawberry” as trivial expressions.
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 most approximate translation of the term trivialis is “at three roads”. What was at the crossroads in the ancient settlements of Europe? Historians claim to be a place for fairs or an inn. Ordinary people gathered in such places, discussed the news that everyone heard, and debates were not of the highest oratorical level. Therefore, first in French, and then in other dialects, the expression "trivialis", that is, "the intersection of the three roads", acquired allegorical meaning. On the one hand, this is something simple, uncomplicated. But on the other - repeatedly repeated after smart people, worn out, battered, unoriginal. Earlier in the Russian language, the term carried a 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 language, the “preparatory faculty” of the university. There he studied the “trivium" - three free arts. Grammar is the basis of all knowledge. It included the study of literature and even the development of the art of versification. Rhetoric, according to Raban Moor, made it possible to correctly and succinctly express his thoughts (both in writing and in front of the audience), and also introduced the student to the basics of jurisprudence. It is also the art of drafting official documents and paperwork. And finally, dialectics, or logic, the science of all sciences. Ability to think, lead a discussion. This free art was comprehended with the help of the works of Aristotle translated by Boethius. As you can see, in this origin of the word "trivial" there is nothing shameful. On the contrary, the one who mastered trivium was already considered an extraordinary, learned person.
Term vulgarization
Where does it come from that “triviality” is something banal, devoid of originality and novelty, something in which there is no flight of thought or spirit? Do not forget that trivium was only the first (and lowest) step in the education system of the Middle Ages. Next, the student studied the "quadrivium" (quadrivium). This level included four free arts - music, arithmetic, geometry and astronomy. It should be assumed that medieval studios also had their own "hazing", expressed in a dismissive attitude towards the still "uncouth" comrades from junior courses. On the lips of a well-trained cleric, a “trivial man” is one who has mastered only trivium. That is, we are talking about dropout with an incomplete higher education.
"Triviality": meaning in chemistry, biology and mathematics
In these branches of human knowledge, the term does not always have a negative meaning. If some substances or living organisms got their name even before the introduction of the scientific nomenclature, providing 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), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), strawberries (strawberries) or night blindness (caustic buttercup). In mathematics, triviality is some number close to zero. As well as arithmetic equations that operate on these numbers.
Conversation
But “triviality” as a scientific term is an exception to the rule. In colloquial everyday life, this word carries a clear semantic load. These are trite statements, battered, hackneyed maxims. In terms of clothing, the term may mean mediocrity, lack of style and originality. Also, something simple or taken for granted is said to be triviality. The synonym for this expression in this case is “common place”. Sometimes trivial is called shallow, banal thoughts, when a person operates on template concepts. In Russian, this word has a hint of vulgarity and earthiness. To say about a person that he is sheer triviality means to declare that he is boring and uninteresting. Therefore, before you call your interlocutor so, think about it, because he may be offended.