Of, pertaining to, or designating, the fifth pair of cranial nerves, which divide on each side of the head into three main branches distributed to the orbits, jaws, and parts of the mouth; trifacial.
tres = three + geminus = twin, triplets; fifth cranial nerve with three main branches.
the main sensory nerve of the face and motor nerve for the muscles of mastication
Latin trigeminus = triplets; hence, cranial nerve V, with 3 large divisions.
(L. tri, three + geminus, twin). The name was coined by Winslow because the nerve has three divisions.
L. trigerninus, three-fold. Trigeminal nerve has three divisions. It was described by Fallopius and again by Meckel in 1748. The name trigerninal was given by Winslow on account of its three divisions.
Trigeminal means "to do with the fifth pair of cranial nerves",. These are known as tri geminal because they spilt into three main branches on each side of the head.
Trigeminal refers to the fifth pair of cranial nerves. Edgar Cayce consistently linked trigeminal involvement to migraine headaches.