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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Re: verdigris #196982 02/04/2011 1:19 PM Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 2 abelcandoit stranger abelcandoit stranger Joined: Jan 2008 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. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: verdigris abelcandoit #196987 02/04/2011 2:29 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 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 Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  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... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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