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Stage 1 of 3
krystallos
Greek · ancient
"ice"
literally ice, since clear quartz was once believed to be permanently frozen ice
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Stage 2 of 3
cristal
Old French · medieval
"clear quartz, fine glass"
carried into French for clear quartz and fine glass
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Stage 3 of 3
crystal
English · 1300s
"a clear mineral, or an ordered solid structure"
settled as the English word for a clear, ordered solid structure
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