The story
- Latin · derived fromcuprum“copper”
- Medieval Latin · derived fromaqua cuprosa“cupreous water”
- Old French · derived fromcoperose
- Medieval Latin · derived fromcuprosa
- Middle English · inherited fromcoperas
- English todaycopperas
From Middle English coperas, coperose (“any metallic sulfate”), from Medieval Latin cuprosa directly or via Old French coperose, from Medieval Latin aqua cuprosa (“cupreous water”), from Latin cuprum (“copper”) + -osa (“-ose: forming related adjectives”). Fanciful derivations from cupreous terms involving Latin rosa (“rose”) are mistaken.
Words from the same roots
Middle Englishcoperas all →
corporas
Latincuprum all →
cupriccupriferouscuprinecuprous
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.