amethyst

Where does the word "amethyst" come from? It comes from Greek amethystos, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Amethyst’s story begins in Greek: amethystos meant “not intoxicated.” Literally not drunken, from the belief the purple stone warded off intoxication. It reached English by 1300s as amethyst. Settled as the English word for the purple quartz gemstone. Today, amethyst means a purple variety of quartz used as a gemstone.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient amethystos "not intoxicated", literally not drunken, from the belief the purple stone warded off intoxication.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s amethyst "a purple variety of quartz", settled as the English word for the purple quartz gemstone.