sapphire

Where does the word "sapphire" come from? It comes from Hebrew sappir, passing through Greek, Latin and Old French before entering English (1200s).

Sapphire’s story begins in Hebrew: sappir meant “a blue precious stone.” Possibly referring to lapis lazuli, an ancient blue stone; ultimate source disputed. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Greek as sappheiros. Name of a blue precious stone, possibly borrowed from a Semitic source. From there it passed into Latin as sapphirus by ancient. Pliny's 'sapphirus' was probably lapis lazuli, with its gold flecks. Old French picked it up next, as saphir, around medieval. Carried through Greek and Latin into French gemstone vocabulary. It reached English by 1200s as sapphire. Settled as the English word for the deep blue gemstone. Today, sapphire means a deep blue precious gemstone, a variety of corundum.

1. Stage 1 · Hebrew · ancient sappir "a blue precious stone", possibly referring to lapis lazuli, an ancient blue stone; ultimate source disputed.
2. Stage 2 · Greek · ancient sappheiros "a blue precious stone", name of a blue precious stone, possibly borrowed from a Semitic source.
3. Stage 3 · Latin · ancient sapphirus "a blue precious stone", Pliny's 'sapphirus' was probably lapis lazuli, with its gold flecks.
4. Stage 4 · Old French · medieval saphir "a blue precious gemstone", carried through Greek and Latin into French gemstone vocabulary.
5. Stage 5 · English · 1200s sapphire "a deep blue precious gemstone", settled as the English word for the deep blue gemstone.