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Origin and history of vair

vair(n.)

"squirrel fur," c. 1300, veir, in reference to some kind of fur (probably gray squirrel or some other sort) in use then to make or trim robes, hoods, etc., from Old French vair "gray-and-white squirrel fur; fur garments" (12c.), from Latin varium, masculine accusative singular of varius "parti-colored" (see vary). Gray or black above and white below.

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to vair

vary(v.)

late 14c., varien, "change" something (transitive) in any way; also "undergo a change, be altered" (intransitive), from Old French variier "be changed, go astray; change, alter, transform" and directly from Latin variare "change, alter, make different," from varius "varied, different, spotted." This is of uncertain origin. De Vaan finds the possible etymologies that have been proposed speculative or unconvincing.

Also from late 14c. as "exist in a variety of possible forms; be unstable or inconsistent," also "differ (from), be different, deviate from expected pattern or plan." The sense of "disagree, have differing opinions" is by c. 1400. Related: Varied; varying.

miniver(n.)

a type of fur once commonly used for lining and trimming in garments, mid-13c., from Old French menu vair "minor fur;" see menu + vair. The exact description of the thing and meaning of the term is now unclear; according to older French sources, it came from some kind of squirrel.

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    Trends of vair

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    hysteria
    nervous disease, 1801, coined in medical Latin as an abstract noun from Greek hystera "womb," from PIE *udtero-, variant of *udero- "abdomen, womb, stomach" (see uterus). Originally defined as a neurotic condition peculiar to women and thought to be caused by a dysfunction of the
    ginger
    11c., from Old English ginȝifer, ginȝiber, from Late Latin gingiber, from Latin zingiberi, from Greek zingiberis, from Prakrit (Middle Indic) singabera, from Sanskrit srngaveram, from srngam "horn" + vera- "body," so called from the shape of its root. But this may be Sanskrit fol
    lord
    mid-13c., laverd, loverd, from Old English hlaford "master of a household, ruler, feudal lord, superior; husband," also "God," translating Latin dominus, Greek kyrios in the New Testament, Hebrew yahweh in the Old (though Old English dryhten was more frequent). Old English hlafor
    top-notch
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    peremptory
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    salary
    late 13c., salarie, "compensation, payment," whether periodical, for regular service or for a specific service; from Anglo-French salarie, Old French salaire "wages, pay, reward," from Latin salarium "an allowance, a stipend, a pension," said to be originally "salt-money, soldier
    confidence
    c. 1400, "assurance or belief in the good will, veracity, etc. of another," from Old French confidence or directly from Latin confidentia, from confidentem (nominative confidens) "firmly trusting, bold," present participle of confidere "to have full trust or reliance," from assim

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