bluestone
UK[ˈbluːstəʊn]US[ˈbluːstoʊn]
n
a type of bluish-grey sandstone used for building.
n
a blue variety of any of several minerals, such as copper sulfate.
Morpheme Breakdown
blue
stone
blue
color
stone
material
Etymology
the word bluestone is a transparent compound formed from two ancient germanic roots. the first element, 'blue', descends from proto-germanic blēwaz, which referred to a range of dark colors, including livid or discolored hues. the second element, 'stone', originates from proto-germanic stainaz, a fundamental term for rock or mineral. the compound emerged in middle english to descriptively label any rock or building material exhibiting a distinctive blue or bluish-grey coloration. its logic is purely denotative, combining the attribute of color with the category of material to create a functional name for specific types of sandstone or mineral specimens.
Analysis
Structure: blue (color) + stone (material)
blue (from old english 'blāw', meaning the color blue, of germanic origin). stone (from old english 'stān', meaning rock or mineral, of germanic origin).
Examples
the historic pavement was laid with irregular slabs of bluestone.
the chemist used bluestone, or copper sulfate, in the experiment.
the garden path was edged with weathered bluestone.