Jaspideous
/dʒæˈspɪdiəs/noun
Resembling jasper, especially in color or mottled appearance.
Did you know?Jasper was widely used in ancient seals, amulets, and engraved magical objects, although “jaspideous” itself is simply a descriptive adjective formed from the gemstone’s name.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Near Eastern period
Semitic?
*yašp-
“A proposed ancient Near Eastern source for the gemstone name; the ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἴασπις (íaspis)
“Jasper, a spotted or variegated gemstone.”
Classical Latin
Latin
iaspis
“Jasper; a precious or ornamental stone.”
Old French
Old French
jaspe
“Jasper, with the initial sound and spelling influenced by medieval European forms.”
14th Century
English
jasper
“Jasper, the gemstone.”
Modern English
English
jaspideous
“Resembling jasper in appearance; formed from jasper with the suffix -ideous, meaning “having the nature or appearance of.””
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