Kyanite
/ˈkaɪ.ə.naɪt/noun
A blue, aluminum silicate mineral used as a gemstone and in ceramics.
Did you know?Kyanite was named for its color from Greek *kyanos* (“dark blue”), a root that also lies behind words like cyan, so the stone’s very name is an ancient color spell.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyanos
“dark blue; blue enamel or lapis-like color”
Late 18th Century
German
Kyanit
“a blue mineral, named for its color”
Late 18th Century
French
cyanite
“blue kyanite mineral”
19th Century
English
kyanite
“the mineral kyanite”