coral

coral · noun, adjective¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromκοράλλιον“coral”
2. Latin · derived fromcorallium
3. Old French · derived fromcoral
4. English todaycoral

From Old French coral (French corail), from Latin corallium, from Ancient Greek κοράλλιον (korállion, “coral”). Probably ultimately of Semitic origin, compare Hebrew גּוֹרָל (goral, “small pebble”), Arabic جَرَل (jaral, “small stone”), originally referring to the red variety found in the Mediterranean. Since ancient times, a common folk etymology, accepted by some earlier scholars, connected the word instead to Ancient Greek κόρη (kórē) (referring to Medusa). Beekes mentions both theories and considers the Semitic one convincing.

Coral · proper noun²

From coral.

Words from the same roots