Editing Opal (section)

== Etymology ==
The word 'opal' is adapted from the [[Latin]] term {{lang|la|opalus}}. The origin of this word in turn is a matter of debate, but most modern references suggest it is adapted from the [[Sanskrit]] word {{lang|sa-Latn|úpala}} meaning ‘precious stone’.<ref name=eckert>{{cite book|author-link=Allan W. Eckert|first=Allan W.|last=Eckert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vGewAkLkmvIC&pg=PA56|title=The World of Opals|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|date=1997|pages=56–57|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426210345/https://books.google.com/books?id=vGewAkLkmvIC&pg=PA56|archive-date=26 April 2016|df=dmy-all|isbn=9780471133971}}</ref>

As references to the gem are made by [[Pliny the Elder]], one theory  attributed the name's origin to Roman mythology: to have been adapted from [[Ops]], the wife of [[Saturn (mythology)|Saturn]], and goddess of fertility. (The portion of [[Saturnalia]] devoted to Ops was "Opalia", similar to {{lang|la|opalus}}.)

Another common claim was that the term was adapted from the [[Ancient Greek language|Ancient Greek]] word, {{lang|grc-Latn|opallios}}. This word has two meanings, one is related to "seeing" and forms the basis of the English words like "opaque"; the other is "other" as in "alias" and "alter". It is claimed that {{lang|la|opalus}} combined these uses, meaning "to see a change in color". However, historians have noted the first appearances of {{lang|grc-Latn|opallios}} do not occur until after the Romans had taken over the Greek states in 180&nbsp;BC and they had previously used the term {{lang|grc-Latn|paederos}}.<ref name=eckert/>

However, the argument for the Sanskrit origin is strong. The term first appears in Roman references around 250&nbsp;BC, at a time when the opal was valued above all other gems. The opals were supplied by traders from the [[Bosporus]], who claimed the gems were being supplied from India. Before this, the stone was referred to by a variety of names, but these fell from use after 250&nbsp;BC.