diamond English · revision 5207

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=a. 1310|origins=grc ἀδάμας}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈdaɪə.mənd/, /ˈdaɪ.mənd/, US /ˈdaɪ.ə.mənd/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|diamaunt]], [[bor|fro|diamant]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from [[la-med|diamas|alt=diamās]], genitive diamantis,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998) an alteration, influenced by the many Greek words beginning with dia-, of [[la|adamās|t=the hardest metal; later, diamond]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from [[grc|ἀδάμας|tr=adámas|t=unbreakable; a hypothetical hardest material]], a word of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline)^(Trench 1859) It is a doublet of [[adamant]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The precious stone: before 1310 in the OED, about 1325 in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ According to Trench, the Greek word first meant the hardest steel and was transferred to the diamond in the writings of Theophrastus.^(Trench 1859) In Middle English diamond also meant adamant, a substance of extreme hardness (about 1400).^(OED 1989) A person or thing of great worth is from the early 15th century.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) A figure with four equal sides and two acute and two obtuse angles is from the late 15th century,^(Etymonline) the playing card from the 1590s,^(Etymonline) and the glazier's diamond tool from 1697.^(OED 1989) In baseball the infield is the ''diamond'' by 1875, in American English.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The advertising slogan ''A diamond is forever'' was used by De Beers from the late 1940s.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1310 – the gemstone.^(OED 1989)

+ * early 15th century – a person of great worth.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 15th century – the geometric figure.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1590s – the playing card.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1875 – a baseball diamond.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A very hard, usually colourless form of [[carbon]], used as a [[gemstone]] and in cutting tools.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A figure with four equal sides whose angles are not right angles; a [[rhombus]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A playing card marked with red diamond shapes, or the [[suit]] of such cards.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(baseball)'' The infield, or the whole playing field.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To decorate with or as if with diamonds.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[diamondlike]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[demantoid]]

+ * [[adamant]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}