azure

The story

1. Classical Persian · derived fromلاجورد“lapis lazuli”
2. Arabic · derived fromلَازَوَرْد“lapis lazuli”
3. Old French · derived fromazur
4. Middle English · inherited fromasure
5. English todayazure

From Middle English asure, from Old French azur, derived from Arabic لَازَوَرْد (lāzaward, “lapis lazuli”), dropping the l as if it were equivalent to the French article l'. The Arabic is from Classical Persian لاجورد (lājward, “lapis lazuli”), from the region of Lajward in Badakhshan. Compare with Italian azzurro and Spanish azul.

Words from the same roots