Zaffer
/ˈzæf.ər/noun
A yellowish-red variety of impure cobalt oxide formerly used as a pigment in glass and ceramics.
Did you know?Zaffer is historically tied to the same cobalt-world vocabulary that produced the modern word cobalt, because early mineral pigments were named and traded across medieval Arabic, Italian, and European craft traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κάδμεια γῆ (kádmeia gē)
“Cadmia, a mineral earth used in metalworking”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
زَعْفَرَان (zaʿfarān)
“Saffron; by extension a yellow dye or coloring substance”
Medieval Italian
Italian
zaffero
“A pigment or mineral used in glassmaking, especially cobalt-based coloring material”
16th Century
French
zaffer
“A blue or blue-black pigment used in glass and ceramics”
16th Century
English
zaffer
“A pigment used in coloring glass, enamel, and pottery”
Modern English
English
zaffer
“A historical term for a cobalt-containing pigment or mineral coloring agent”
Explore more surprising origins