'verdigris' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'vert de Grece,' where 'vert' meant 'green' and 'de Grece' meant 'of Greece.'

'vert de Grece' transformed into the Middle English word 'vertegrez,' and eventually became the modern English word 'verdigris.'

Initially, it meant 'green of Greece,' referring to the green pigment used in art, and over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a green or bluish deposit on copper.'