Marble Origin Of Word

Meaning mottled like marble is mid 15c.

Marble origin of word.

Statues and parts of buildings are sometimes made of marble. From 1590s as resembling marble in some figurative quality cold hard insensible etc. The earlier adjective in this sense was marbrin early 14c. Much of the early classical marble came from the marmaris sea above the aegean.

The forms from french replaced old english marma which had previously been borrowed from latin. Marble english origin history from anglo norman and old french marbre from latin marmor from ancient greek μάρμαρος perhaps related to μαρμάρεος gleaming. Marble adj late 14c consisting of marble from marble n. The word marble derives from the ancient greek μάρμαρον mármaron from μάρμαρος mármaros crystalline rock shining stone perhaps from the verb μαρμαίρω marmaírō to flash sparkle gleam.

Marble cake is attested from 1864.