Carrara

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of high-quality white or blue-grey marble prized for sculpture and architecture
2. A place in Italy known for its quarries that produce the aforementioned marble
3. Renowned for its historical significance and aesthetic value in art and design

Etymology: Carrara is a town in Tuscany, Italy, set in the Apuan Alps, and its name has travelled into English as a term for the fine white marble quarried in its hills. The English word is borrowed directly from the Italian place name, so the marble is named after the town rather than the other way round. That pattern is common with stone and fabric names, where a region's famous product ends up carrying the place's name into other languages. The quarries around Carrara have been worked for centuries, and the marble they yield is prized for its smooth, fine grain, which made it a favourite material for sculptors and builders. Because the name points to a specific place, English speakers use it as a common noun in lowercase, much as they use other place-derived materials, so the word now names the stone itself as well as the town it came from.