It's the Word of the Day podcast for September 3rd.
Today's word is trivial, spelled T-R-I-V-I-A-L.
Trivial is an adjective.
Something described as trivial is of little worth or importance.
Here's the word used in a sentence from the New York Times by David Brooks.
No matter how trivial an activity might be,
most people seem to feel an innate need to get better at it,
whether it's kids learning double Dutch, me just shooting baskets in the driveway,
or somebody else proud at how much better he's getting at flipping pancakes.
When English speakers adopted the word trivial from the Latin word trivialis in the 16th century,
they used it to mean just what its Latin ancestor meant.
Found everywhere or commonplace.
But the source of trivialis is about something more specific.
Trivium, from tri meaning three and via meaning way, means crossroads, place where three roads meet.
The link between the two presumably has to do with the commonplace sorts of things a person is likely to encounter at a busy crossroads.
Today, the English word typically describes something barely worth mentioning.
Such judgments are, of course, subjective.
Feel free to mention this bit of trivia to anyone and everyone who crosses your path.
With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.
Visit Merriam-Webster.com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.