An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/dritte

by Friedrich Kluge

dritte, ord. of drei, ‘third,’ MidHG. dritte, OHG. dritto; corresponds to Goth. þridja; AS. þridda, E. third. þri- is the stem (see Drillich), dja the suffix, which forms the ordinal from the cardinal; it is -lio- in Lat. tertius Sans. tṛtîya-s. —