The word is a modern English compound formed by combining a classical numerical prefix with a native English noun and a common adjectival suffix. The prefix "tri-", of Latin and Greek origin, has been a productive element in English since the medieval period for denoting threefold nature. It is attached to the noun "color", which entered English via Old French from the Latin color, itself of uncertain Proto-Indo-European origin, possibly related to concepts of covering or complexion. The suffix "-ed" is a native Germanic adjectival formative, used to create descriptive terms meaning "possessing or characterized by" the quality of the root noun. Thus, the literal construction "three-colored" transparently describes an object marked by a combination of three distinct hues.

Structure: tri (three) + color (hue) + ed (adjective suffix) - tri: From Latin and Greek tri-, meaning "three". A numerical prefix. - color: From Latin color, meaning "color, hue, appearance". A noun root. - ed: From Old English -ede, a suffix forming adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, provided with".