English
lapidist
Lapidist comes from Latin lapis ‘a stone’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *lapets.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*lapets‘stone’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElapis‘a stone’
- Englishearliest quotation 1691lapidist
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*lapets‘stone’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElapis‘a stone’
- Englishearliest quotation 1691lapidist
Earliest quotation: 1691, John Ray, London: […] Samuel Smith: “the factitious Stones of Chymists in invitation being easily…”
Formed from -ist
Every English word from Proto-Italic *lapets
Today it means
noun A lapidary (“person who cuts and polishes, engraves, or deals in gems and precious stones; expert in gems and precious stones”).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *lapets / lapidist