travertine
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Meaning
a white or light-coloured calcareous rock deposited from mineral springs, used in building.
Structure
Usage
the exterior of the building was clad in beautiful, cream-colored travertine.
hot springs in the area are responsible for depositing the layers of travertine that form the terraces.
the architect specified polished travertine for the lobby floor to achieve a timeless, elegant look.
Etymology
The word "travertine" has a distinctly geographic origin. It derives from the Italian "travertino", an alteration of the Latin adjective "tiburtinus", meaning "of or belonging to tibur". Tibur was the ancient name for the modern town of tivoli near Rome, famous for its quarries of this porous limestone formed by mineral springs. The term entered English in the 18th century as a direct loan, carrying with it the name of its classic source location. Thus, the modern term for this specific type of building stone is essentially a fossilized reference to its principal historical source.
Analysis
the entire word "travertine" is a loanword adopted as a single unit. it originates from the italian "travertino", which itself is a modification of the latin "tiburtinus", meaning "of tibur" (the ancient name for tivoli, italy, near rome, where the stone was quarried).