Where does “sable” come from?
Sable comes from Old French sable, from Late Latin sablum, from Latin sabulo, meaning sand or gravel.
sable (English): A small carnivorous mammal of the Old World that...
Definitions
- A small carnivorous mammal of the Old World that...
Ancestry of “sable”, step by step
sable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French sable
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | sable | sable (fur of a sable) |
| 2 | Late Latin | sablum | — |
| 3 | Latin | sabulo | coarse sand, gravel |
via Old French martre sable
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | martre sable | sable marten; sable martin |
| 2 | Middle Low German | sabel | — |