diamond (English)

Where does "diamond" come from?

The English word 'diamond' traces its roots back through Middle English 'dyamaunt' and Old French 'diamant' to Late Latin 'diamās' and Latin 'adamās'[1]. These forms ultimately derive from Ancient Greek 'ἀδάμᾱς', meaning 'diamond'[1]. The term is also a doublet of 'adamant'[1]. Furthermore, certain typographic senses arose as a calque of Dutch 'diamant', introduced by Dirck Voskens around 1700[1][2].

Open questions

• The Greek term adamas may originate from a Semitic borrowing rather than its traditional decomposition into a meaning of invincible or indomitable. [4] [5]

Full etymology tree

• diamond (English), 'Made of, or containing diamond, a diamond or diamonds.'
  • derived dyamaunt (Middle English), 'diamond (valuable gemstone composed of carbon)'
    • inherited diamant (Old French), 'diamond'
      • inherited diamās (Late Latin)
        • inherited adamas (Latin), 'Adamant; the hardest steel or iron; diamond; an object made of adamant.'
          • inherited ἀδάμας (adámas) (Ancient Greek), 'adamant, the hardest metal (probably steel)'
  • calque diamant (Dutch), 'diamond (substance)'
    • inherited diamant (Old French), 'diamond'
      • inherited diamās (Late Latin)
        • inherited adamas (Latin), 'Adamant; the hardest steel or iron; diamond; an object made of adamant.'
          • inherited ἀδάμας (adámas) (Ancient Greek), 'adamant, the hardest metal (probably steel)'

Ancestors

• dyamaunt (Middle English)
• diamant (Old French)
• adamas (Latin)
• ἀδάμας (Ancient Greek)
• diamant (Dutch)

Cognates and doublets

• adamant (English)

Sources

1. diamond (English) - Wiktionary
2. diamant (Dutch) - Wiktionary
3. diamant (Old French) - Wiktionary
4. adamas (Latin) - Wiktionary
5. ἀδάμας (adámas) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
6. dyamaunt (Middle English) - Wiktionary
7. diamant (Middle Dutch) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris