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prettygoodwordporphyry (PAWR-fuh-ree) - n., a rock consisting of feldspar crystals embedded in a compact dark red or purple groundmass; (Geol.) any igneous rock of porphyritic texture.
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The specific kind of rock was quarried in ancient Egypt, and the fact that they could work such a hard rock without iron is impressive. They were famous for it, and architectural use of porphyry was a conspicuous status symbol though Byzantine times. The name dates to the 15th century as Middle English porphiri/porfurie, from Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro, from Medieval Latin porphyrium, from Latin porphyrītēs, from Greek porphurītēs, from porphurā, the mollusk that yielded Tyrian purple dye as well as cloth dyed with it -- and also the source of English purple.
---L.
Thanks, WikiMedia!
The specific kind of rock was quarried in ancient Egypt, and the fact that they could work such a hard rock without iron is impressive. They were famous for it, and architectural use of porphyry was a conspicuous status symbol though Byzantine times. The name dates to the 15th century as Middle English porphiri/porfurie, from Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro, from Medieval Latin porphyrium, from Latin porphyrītēs, from Greek porphurītēs, from porphurā, the mollusk that yielded Tyrian purple dye as well as cloth dyed with it -- and also the source of English purple.
---L.
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