azur

See also: azúr, ažur, and ażur

English

Adjective

azur (not comparable)

1. Alternative form of azure (“blue tincture in heraldry”).

Basque

Noun

azur inan

1. Biscayan form of hezur (“bone”)

References

• R. L. Trask (2008), “azur”, in Max W. Wheeler, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Basque, University of Sussex, page 191

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French azur, borrowed from Medieval Latin azurium, from Arabic لَازُوَرْد (lāzuward, “lapis lazuli”), from Persian لاجورد (lâjvard, “lapis lazuli”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.zyʁ/

• Audio:

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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Noun

azur m (plural azurs)

1. (heraldry) azure (blue color)

   Synonym: bleu

Derived terms

• Côte d'Azur

See also

Colors in French · couleurs (layout · text)

blanc	gris	noir
rouge; cramoisi, carmin	orange; brun, marron	jaune; crème
lime	vert	menthe
cyan, turquoise; bleu canard	azur, bleu ciel	bleu
violet, lilas; indigo	magenta; pourpre	rose

Further reading

• “azur”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Middle English

Noun

azur

1. alternative form of asure

Old French

Etymology

From an earlier *lazul or *lazur, which was then rebracketed so as to interpret initial l- as the article l' contracted from le; from Medieval Latin lazulum, from Arabic لَازَوَرْد (lāzaward), from Classical Persian لَاجَوَرْد (lājaward).

Noun

azur oblique singular, m (oblique plural azurs, nominative singular azurs, nominative plural azur)

1. (heraldry) azure (blue color)
   • c. 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:

     Qui est li chevaliers armez
     D'unes armes d'azur et d'or[?]

     Who is the knight armed
     With armaments of azure and of gold?

Descendants

• French: azur
• → Middle English: asure, asur, asour, azur, azour, azure
  • English: azure
  • Scots: asure
  • → Welsh: asur
• → Portuguese: azur
• → Spanish: azur

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃-der.?

Classical Persian لاژورد (Lāžvard)

Classical Persian لَاجَوَرْد (lājaward)bor.

Arabic لََازُوَرْد (laāzuward)bor.

Medieval Latin lazulumlbor.

Old Galician-Portuguese azur

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin lazulum, borrowed from Arabic لََازُوَرْد (laāzuward).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈd͡zuɾ/
• Rhymes: --uɾ

Adjective

azur m or f

1. azure, blue

Noun

azur m (plural azurs)

1. azure, blue
   • a. 1284, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Códice de los músicos, cantiga 384 (facsimile):

     ⁊ a outra dazur era / coor mui marauilloſa / que ao çeo ſemella […]

     And the other was blue / a marvelous colour / which resembles the sky […]

Descendants

• Galician: azul
• Portuguese: azul

See also

Colors in Old Galician-Portuguese · coores, colores (layout · text)

branco, blanco, alvo	gris	negro, preto
vermelho	castanho	amarelo
	verde
		azur
	cardẽo	rosa

Old Spanish

Etymology

From Arabic لَازُوَرْد (lāzuward, “lapis lazuli”), from Persian لاجورد (lâjvard, “lapis lazuli”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈd͡z̪uɾ/

Adjective

azur (plural azures)

1. blue

Noun

azur m (plural azures)

1. blue

Descendants

• Spanish: azul
• Ladino: azul / אזול

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• azure

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃-der.?

Classical Persian لاژورد (Lāžvard)

Classical Persian لَاجَوَرْد (lājaward)bor.

Arabic لَازَوَرْد (lāzaward)der.

Medieval Latin azuriumlbor.

Old French azur

French azurbor.

Portuguese azur

Borrowed from French azur. Doublet of azul.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aˈzuʁ/ [aˈzuh]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aˈzuʁ/ [aˈzuh]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /aˈzuɾ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /aˈzuʁ/ [aˈzuχ]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /aˈzuɻ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐˈzuɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐˈzuɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐˈzu.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: a‧zur

Noun

azur m (plural azures)

1. (heraldry) azure (the blue colour)
   • (Can we date this quote?), Grande enciclopédia portuguesa e brasileira, volume 3, Editorial Enciclopédia, page 962:

     Actualmente, as fábricas de corantes produzem azur muito puro.

     Currently, dye factories produce a very pure azure.

   • 1984, Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro, Anais do Congresso de História do Segundo Reinado: Comissão de Genealogia e Heráldica, Comissão de História Jurídica, Comissão de História Cultural, Comissão de História Religiosa, page 74:

     No escudo do prelado maranhense os atributos das armas originais foram transformados e dispostos em um escudo cortado em faixa, figurando no 1º quartel quatro faixas ondadas de azul em campo de prata, e no 2º quarto flores de lis também de prata, posta 2 em 2, em campo de azur, com bordadura de vermelho pleno.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2001, Antonio Miranda, Manucho e o labirinto, Global, page 37:

     Em seu brasão de família havia dragões de ouro e ostentava a branda e escudetes de sinople e azur, […]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1992, Eugenio Vergara Caffarelli, As moedas do Brasil desde o Reino Unido, 1818-1992: ilustrado com 690 fotografias, page 18:

     O vermelho ou goles se representa por linhas perpendiculares (fig. 1). O azul ou azur, por linhas horizontais (fig. 2).

     Red or gules is represented by perpendicular lines (fig. 1). Blue or azure, by horizontal lines (fig. 2).

   • (Can we date this quote?), Valton Sergio von Tempski-Silka, Histórico dos Brasões e Bandeiras do Estado do Paraná, page 18:

     Esmalte: as cores do brasão que não são metais: azul = azur, blau; verde = sinople, sinopla; preto = sable; vermelho = goles etc.

     Color: the tinctures of the blazon which are not metals: blue = azure; green = vert; black = sable; red = gules etc.

   Synonyms: blau, azul

Related terms

• azul

Further reading

• “azur”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃-der.?

Classical Persian لاژورد (Lāžvard)

Classical Persian لَاجَوَرْد (lājaward)bor.

Arabic لَازَوَرْد (lāzaward)der.

Medieval Latin azuriumlbor.

Old French azur

French azurbor.

Romanian azur

Borrowed from French azur.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈzur/

Noun

azur n (uncountable)

1. azure, light-blue, sky-blue

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	azur	azurul
genitive-dative	azur	azurului
vocative	azurule

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from French azur, from Old French azur, from Arabic لَازُوَرْد (lāzuward, “lapis lazuli”), from Persian لاجورد (lâjvard, “lapis lazuli”). Doublet of azul.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈθuɾ/ [aˈθuɾ] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• IPA^(key): /aˈsuɾ/ [aˈsuɾ] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -uɾ
• Syllabification: a‧zur

Adjective

azur m or f (masculine and feminine plural azures)

1. azure (sky-blue coloured)
2. (heraldry) azure

See also

Colors in Spanish · colores (layout · text)

blanco	gris	negro
rojo; carmín, carmesí	naranja, anaranjado; marrón	amarillo; crema
lima	verde	menta
cian, turquesa; azul-petróleo	celeste, cerúleo	azul
violeta; añil, índigo	magenta; morado, púrpura	rosa, rosado

Further reading

• “azur”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Noun

azur c

1. azure (color)
2. (poetic) azure (clear blue sky or space above (or the sea or the like))

Declension

Declension of azur

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	azur	azurs
	definite	azurn	azurns
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

See also

• himmelsblå (“sky blue”)

Colors in Swedish · färger (layout · text)

vit	grå	svart
röd; karmosin, karmosinröd, blodröd	orange (common), brandgul (now uncommon); brun	gul; beige
limegrön	grön	mintgrön
turkos (common), cyan (rare); blågrön, teal	himmelsblå, azur	blå
lila, violett, gredelin (light lavender, now uncommon); indigo	magenta; purpur	rosa (common), skär (uncommon)

References

• “azur”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “azur”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “azur”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)