*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of topaz

From Old French topace (compare French topaze), from Ancient Greek τόπαζος (tópazos).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
adj

Of a yellowish-brown color, like that of the gemstone.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Old French topace (compare French topaze), from Ancient Greek τόπαζος (tópazos).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "topace"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French topace"
    },
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        "2": "topaze"
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    },
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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine, usually tinted by impurities. · An often clear, yellowish-brown gemstone cut from this. · A yellowish-brown color, like that of the gemstone. · Or (gold or yellow), in blazoning by precious stones.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Old French topace (compare French topaze), from Ancient Greek τόπαζος (tópazos).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "topace"
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    },
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    },
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      "expansion": "Ancient Greek τόπαζος (tópazos)"
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      "τόπαζος#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
      "word": "tópás",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "lang_code": "cy",
      "word": "topas",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine, usually tinted by impurities.",
        "An often clear, yellowish-brown gemstone cut from this.",
        "A yellowish-brown color, like that of the gemstone.",
        "Or (gold or yellow), in blazoning by precious stones."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A black Catholic soldier in the British Army.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Various theories. Hobson-Jobson mentions as possibilities a corruption of Persian (from Turkish) top-chi, "gunner", or a connection with topee, from the hats they wore.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for topaz →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-dG9wYXo