Zobel
/ˈzoʊbəl/noun
A sable, especially its valuable dark fur, or a term used for sable-like blackness in heraldic contexts.
Did you know?Zobel belongs to the same Eurasian family of sable names as English “sable,” reflecting how fur-trading vocabulary traveled across Slavic and German-speaking regions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*sъbolъ
“Sable, the dark-furred marten valued for its pelt”
Old Russian
Old Russian
sobolĭ
“Sable”
Old High German
Old High German
zobel
“Sable or sable fur”
Middle High German
Middle High German
zobel
“Sable, especially as a traded fur”
Early Modern English
English
zobel
“A sable or sable-colored material, chiefly an imported term”
Modern English
English
zobel
“An uncommon word for sable or sable-like blackness”