Jan

13

Turquoise

Filed Under T 

Because it has that deep first syllable, that exquisite twist in the middle, and then it rhymes with “poise.” (I also love the stone it stands for, but as is often the case with me, I may love the stone because I love the word, at least as much as the other way around. For example, I can’t tell if I really love drinking Shiraz, or tasting the word.)

Annie Gottlieb

Comments

One Response to “Turquoise”

  1. alcofribas on January 14th, 2008 10:44 am

    from the French turc (Turkish); in the 17th century everything Turkish was the great fad; many of those things favored this color, which was as yet unnamed. Its name became “Turkish”, “turquoise”, the ending syllable telling us it is in pre-modern French, just as is “Illinois”. In modern French, “illinais,” “turquais” (no such words!).

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