Tuffeau
/tuˈfoʊ/noun
A soft, porous limestone used as a building stone, especially in the Loire Valley of France.
Did you know?Tuffeau is a regional French form tied to Latin *tofus*, the word for a soft volcanic stone, and that same ancient root also gave English the word "tuff" in geology.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
tofus
“Soft volcanic stone or porous rock”
Medieval Latin
Latin
tophus
“Variant form referring to porous stone”
Old French
Old French
tuf
“Tuff, porous rock or stone”
Regional French
French
tuffeau
“Soft limestone used as building stone”
Modern English
English
tuff
“A consolidated volcanic ash rock”