1
Stage 1 of 3
terra + cocta
Latin · ancient
"baked earth"
'earth' and the past participle of coquere 'to cook' combined
2
Stage 2 of 3
terra cotta
Italian · medieval
"baked earth; fired clay"
kept the compound sense for fired, unglazed clay
3
Stage 3 of 3
terracotta
English · 1722
"a hard, unglazed brownish-red earthenware"
borrowed for the hard, brownish-red earthenware and its color
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