Where does “turquoise” come from?
Turquoise comes from Middle French turquoise, derived from Middle French turquois, which came from Old French turquois, ultimately from Old French -ois.
turquoise (English): A sky-blue, greenish-blue, or greenish-gray...
Definitions
- A sky-blue, greenish-blue, or greenish-gray...
Ancestry of “turquoise”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | turquoise | turquoise precious stone |
| 2 | Old French | turquois | Turkish |
| 3 | Old French | -ois | used to form nationalities; used to form names of... |
| 4 | Latin | -ensis | Of or from |
| 5 | Latin | arvum | field; farm land |
| 6 | Latin | colō | to cultivate the land, till, tend, take care of a field or garden |
| 7 | Latin | quelō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | kʷelō | to inhabit |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷéleti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |