designslinger - Word of the Week: marmoreal

 
[marmoreal, The Solitude of the Soul, Lorado Taft, marble, modeled 1901, carved 1914; Samson and the Lion, Cristoforo Stati, Italian, marble, 1604-07; Art Institute of Chicago /Images & Artwork: designslinger]

marmoreal (marh-MOR-ee-ul) adj. of, relating to, or suggestive of marble or a marble statue, especially in coldness or aloofness. They expressed nothing but marmoreal calm.

 
[marmoreal, Statue of Meleager, marble, ca. 50 B.C., Roman copy of a 4th-century B.C. Greek original attributed to Skopas; Statue of the Aphrodite of Knidos, marble, 2nd century A.D., Roman copy of the 4th-century B.C. Greek original by Praxiteles, 4th-century B.C.; Art Institute of Chicago /Images & Artwork: designslinger]

From the Latin marmoreus, or marmor.

 
[marmoreal, Samson and the Lion, Cristoforo Stati, Italian, marble, 1604-07; Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii, Randolph Rogers, marble, modeled 1855-56, carved 1858; Art Institute of Chicago /Images & Artwork: designslinger]

Marmor gave us the English word marble around the 12th century. It's pretty obvious that marmor is also the root of marmoreal, which has been used in the English language since the mid-1500s.

 
[marmoreal, Auditorium Theatre (1889/1993) lobby entrance, marble and faux marble, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago, /Images & Artwork: designslinger]

The word marbleize, another marmor descendant, made its debut in print around 1859.
Posted by designslinger at 9/23/2009 1:58 AM
Categories: Dictionary
Tags: definition
 

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  • 9/23/2009 3:34 AM David Doty wrote:
    This designslinger is just lovely. Those gorgeous marble statues and pieces.
    1. 9/23/2009 4:15 AM designslinger wrote:
      Wow. This is the quickest comment response we've ever gotten. We just posted and there you were! Thanks for the compliment BTW.
  • 9/23/2009 10:09 AM Carlos Lorenzo wrote:
    Marmóreo in Spanish. Interesting to learn about the origin of this adjective and other derivative words. Thanks for digging ;)
    1. 9/23/2009 5:45 PM designslinger wrote:
      You're very welcome!

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