English
escarbuncle
Escarbuncle comes from Old French carbuncle, from Latin carbunculus ‘diminutive of carbō: small coal’, and ultimately from carbō.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcarbō‘coal, charcoal’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcarbunculus‘diminutive of carbō: small coal’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400carbuncleas escharboncle
- Englishearliest quotation 1922escarbuncle
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcarbō‘coal, charcoal’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcarbunculus‘diminutive of carbō: small coal’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400carbuncleas escharboncle
- Englishearliest quotation 1922escarbuncle
Earliest quotation: 1922, Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance: “To give light to the presence chamber were seven…”
The story
Old French escharboncle, see Modern French escaboucle.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kerh₃-
through Latin carbō ‘coal, charcoal’
Today it means
noun A carbuncle (gemstone).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin carbō / escarbuncle