TT cable question

A true balanced phono connection from cartridge to phono inputs to a balanced phono stage nearly always does not need a separate earth ground wire. (3 of my 3 balanced phono stages do not require a ground connection.) Typically, ground floats in such a connection. Typically also a balanced phono will offer XLR inputs. Also, to amend what E wrote, sometimes the TT itself may need to see common ground not just the tonearm, in SE mode.

Ya know, I wanted to call it a "spade lug", but then I started to think about spade connectors and was fearful of misleading the OP.  "Fork-like" is vivid, I thought.

If you are in single-ended mode using RCA termination, then you do not have to worry about a separate ground between phono and linestage. The interconnection does that. However you likely but not always need a separate ground wire between tonearm and phono. It serves to provide earth ground between phono chassis and TT or tonearm. Many but not all dedicated phono ICs provide that ground wire as a separate wire with a forklike connector that goes to the ground lug on your phono stage.