coral

Where does the word "coral" come from? It comes from Greek korallion, passing through Latin and Old French before entering English (1300s).

Coral’s story begins in Greek: korallion meant “coral.” The hard skeletal substance formed by marine polyps. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as corallium. Carried into Latin for the same marine substance. From there it passed into Old French as coral by medieval. Carried into French for the reef-building substance and its pinkish color. It reached English by 1300s as coral. Settled as the English word for the marine substance and its color. Today, coral means a hard substance formed by marine polyps, or a pinkish-orange color.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient korallion "coral", the hard skeletal substance formed by marine polyps.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient corallium "coral", carried into Latin for the same marine substance.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval coral "coral, and its pinkish color", carried into French for the reef-building substance and its pinkish color.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1300s coral "a hard marine substance, or its pinkish-orange color", settled as the English word for the marine substance and its color.