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Topic Options #196982 - 02/04/11 08:19 AM Re: verdigris abelcandoit stranger Registered: 01/07/08 Posts: 2 Since "gris" is French for "grey", why doesn't verdigris simply mean "grey green" or "greenish grey"? The Greek connection seems obscure and might even have been a 14th century joke. Top #196987 - 02/04/11 09:29 AM Re: verdigris [Re: abelcandoit] tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Registered: 04/03/00 Posts: 10463 Loc: this too shall pass Etymology (from OED online): < Anglo-Norman and Old French vert de Grece (c1170), Old French verte grez (13th cent.), vert de grice (1314), vert-de-gris (15th cent.; also modern French), lit. ‘green of Greece’: see vert n.1 Compare medieval Latin viride grecum (14–15th cent.). The terminal syllable at an early date was no longer understood and hence underwent various corruptions of spelling and pronunciation. NB: note earlier dates Top Previous Topic Index Next Topic Preview Hop to: General Topics ------   Information and announcements   Q&A about words   Wordplay and fun   Words and languages in schools   Miscellany   Weekly Themes   Looking for (writers, speakers, ...) (Old) Weekly themes. (have been consolidated into a single forum above) ------   Words from medicine   Beheading words   Meta-words   Words from classical mythology   Animal Safari   Words with unusual etymologies   Eponyms or words derived from people's names.   Loanwords from German   English as a global language Moderator:  Jackie  Print Topic Switch to Threaded Mode View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM View homepage Add to your Watched Users View posts Forum Stats 8419 Members 16 Forums 13685 Topics 209703 Posts Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM Newest Members Stephen A, fgjhgjk, Nora Francis, sabosophie, Lore Lorena 8419 Registered Users Who's Online 0 registered (), 21 Guests and 2 Spiders online. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters (30 Days) LukeJavan8 84 jenny jenny 67 wofahulicodoc 45 endymion6 44 BranShea 36 Rhubarb Commando 25 Buffalo Shrdlu 19 Faldage 17 Jackie 16 tsuwm 15 May Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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