Turquoise
/ˈtɜːr.kwɔɪz/noun
A greenish-blue mineral used as a gemstone, or the color of that stone.
Did you know?The English word came through French from the phrase for a stone thought to come from Turkey, even though the mineral itself was traded from much farther east and south.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Persian
Persian
pērōza
““victorious” or “turquoise” as the gemstone name”
Medieval Latin
Latin
turcicus
“Turkish; used in naming the stone as coming from Turkish lands”
Old French
French
turqueise
“Turkish stone”
16th Century
English
turkeys stone
“A stone associated with Turkey”
17th Century
English
turquoise
“The gemstone and its blue-green color”