Etymology
The name sable appears to be of Slavic origin and to have entered most Western European languages via the early medieval fur trade. Thus the Russian соболь (sobol) and Polish soból became the German Zobel, Dutch Sabel; the French zibeline Spanish cibelina, cebellina, Finnish soopeli, Portuguese zibelina and Mediaeval Latin zibellina derive from the Italian form (zibellino). The English and Medieval Latin word sabellum comes from the Old French sable or saible.
The term has become a generic description for some black-furred animal breeds, such as sable cats or rabbits, and for the colour black in heraldry.
Read more about this topic: Sable
Famous quotes containing the word etymology:
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“The universal principle of etymology in all languages: words are carried over from bodies and from the properties of bodies to express the things of the mind and spirit. The order of ideas must follow the order of things.”
—Giambattista Vico (1688–1744)