Marble
/ˈmɑːr.bəl/noun
A hard crystalline rock used in sculpture and architecture, or a small ball made of glass, clay, or stone.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek marmaros, related to marmor, meaning “shining stone,” because the stone’s polished surface seemed to catch light like something enchanted.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mer-
“to shine, sparkle”
Ancient Greek
Greek
mármaros
“shining stone, marble”
Latin
Latin
marmor
“marble, polished stone”
Old French
Old French
marbre
“marble”
Middle English
English
marbel
“marble, stone used for building and sculpture”
Modern English
English
marble
“a hard decorative stone; also a small ball used in games”