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jas·per

(jăspər)

An opaque cryptocrystalline variety of quartz that may be red, yellow, or brown.

[Middle English jaspre, from Anglo-Norman jaspre, variant of jaspe, from Latin iaspis, iaspid-, chrysoprase, translucent quartz, chalcedony, from Greek iaspis, probably ultimately (perhaps via an Anatolian word such as Hittite yašpu-) from a Semitic source akin to Hebrew yāšəpēh, a kind of precious stone, perhaps from Akkadian yašpû, ašpû, chalcedony, jasper, perhaps of Sumerian origin.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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