sapphire

Greek took its name for a precious blue stone (probably lapis lazuli, not today's sapphire) from a Semitic word like Hebrew sappīr. Latin spread it across Europe, Church Slavonic to Russia, and English to Japan; where the Semitic word itself came from is still argued over.

Weakest linkProbable

The road to English

From Biblical Hebrew to Modern Hebrew

From Old French to French

From Latin to Italian

From Latin to Spanish

From Latin to Portuguese

From Latin to Middle High German, German

From Ancient Greek to Old Church Slavonic, Russian

From English to Japanese

600 BCEBiblical Hebrew

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

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