▪ I. cornelian1
(kɔːˈniːlɪən)
Forms: α. 4–6 corneline, 6 cornalyn, (cornelling), 7 cornal(l)in(e, (corrnalin, corniolin, cornerine); β. 6 cornelye, cornellis, -es; γ. 6 cornellion, 7 cornelion, 7– cornelian. See also carnelian.
[Refashioned in the termination from ME. corneline, a. 15th c. F. corneline (now cornaline) = Pr., OSp., and Pg. cornelina, Sp. cornerina, It. cornalina (in Florio cornelino). The med.L. name was corneolus, common in writers de Nat. Rerum and de Lapidibus from Constantinus Africanus a. 1087 onwards; later also cornelius (‘corneolus, quem quidam cornelium dicunt’ Albertus Magnus, 13th c.). See Schade, Altd. Wbch., App. 1378. With corneolus go It. corniola, OF. cornéole, MHG. corniôl, Eng. corneole.
Diez referred the name to L. cornu horn (cf. esp. L. corneolus horn-like, dim. of corneus of horn, horny), ‘because the colour is (sometimes) like that of the finger-nail’, comparing onyx, Gr. ὄνυξ nail. But grave objections to this are pointed out by Schade, who thinks the stone had its name from its likeness in colour to the Cornel-berry or Cornelian-cherry, L. cornum, adj. corneus; in It. corniola was both the fruit and the stone.
Late in the 15th c. the L. corneolus was perverted to carneolus, after carnem flesh, carneus flesh-coloured; thence an occas. MHG. carneôl, and the Eng. by-form carnelian.]
A variety of chalcedony, a semi-transparent quartz, of a deep dull red, flesh, or reddish white colour; used for seals, etc.
| α c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xxvii. 276 On is of Oniche..another of Corneline. 1538 Leland Itin. VII. 57 Cornelines and other Stonys wel entaylid for Seales. 1578 Inv. Royal Wardrobe (1815) 263 (Jam.) A string of cornellinges sett in gold. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 613 How to make a Sardonyx of a Cornalline. 1607 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iv. Magnif. 919 About his neck hangs a great cornaline. 1648 Gage West Ind. xii. (1655) 45 Agats, Cornerines, Emeralds. |
| β 1563 Middlesex County Rec. I. 48 A precious stone called ‘a cornelye’. 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 19 The Sardye..when it is most pure and cleane, it is called Carneolus; of some..the Cornelles. 1601 Chester Love's Mart. lxxxvii. A Dialogue (1878) 101 Cornellis..and Corrall. |
| γ 1568 Lanc. Wills II. 233 My ringe of gold w{supc}{suph} I commonly weare called a cornellion. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. ii. i. 51 Berylls and Cornelians..are subject unto fusion. 1756–7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) IV. 347 The Fitchtelberg mountains yield good cornelians. 1819 Byron Juan i. cxcviii, The motto, cut upon a white cornelian. |
b. The colour of this stone.
| 1718 Ozell Tournefort's Voy. II. 343 The light which passes through is sensibly reddish..inclining to a cornaline. |
c. attrib.
| 1757 Dyer Fleece ii. 580 That shine With topaz, sapphire, and cornelian rays. 1859 Geo. Eliot A. Bede 160 A large cornelian seal. |
▪ II. cornelian2
(kɔːˈniːlɪən)
[f. cornel3: cf. prec.]
† 1. The fruit of the cornel-tree, Cornus mascula; also the tree itself. Obs. exc. as in 2.
| 1625 Bacon Ess., Gardens (Arb.) 557 In September come..Nectarines; Cornelians. 1658 Evelyn Fr. Gard. (1675) 288, I have..invented the pickling of cornelians, and have frequently made them passe for olives of France. 1664 ― Kal. Hort. (1729) 234 Catalogue of..excellent Fruit Trees, Cornelions, White, Red, etc. |
2. cornelian cherry [cf. Ger. kornelius kirsche], = 1; † cornelian tree, cornel-tree.
| 1626 Bacon Sylva §485 Take a Service-tree or a Cornelian-tree. 1762 B. Stillingfl. Misc. Tracts 142 With the first soft breeze, says Pliny, the cornelian cherry puts forth its buds. 1796 C. Marshall Garden. xvii. (1813) 281 Cornel i.e. Cornelian cherry. The fruit used to be..preserved to make tarts. |