nacre

The story

1. Arabic · derived fromنَقَّارَة
2. Medieval Latin · derived fromnacchara
3. Middle French · borrowed fromnacre
4. English todaynacre

Borrowed from Middle French nacre, from Medieval Latin nacchara, ultimately derived from Arabic نَقَّارَة (naqqāra). Doublet of nagara, nagada, naqareh, and naker. Also present in nacarat.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 16th–19th c. A shellfish which contains mother-of-pearl.
• from 17th c. A pearly substance made mainly of stacked layers of aragonite and organic matter which lines the interior of many shells; mother-of-pearl.