† marienglasn.

Etymology: < German Marienglas, lit. ‘Mary's glass’ (1732; in early use also Marien-Glaß ) < Marien- , combining form of Maria , the name of the Virgin Mary (compare mariengroschen n.) + Glas glass n.¹The reason for the name is not clear, but may be that Marienglas was used for decorating figures of the Virgin Mary and the saints (see quot. 1896). However, a different (and somewhat opaque) explanation is offered in an early reference, suggesting that whatever the origin of the name it was already not transparent at an early date:1734 J. H. Zedler Grosses Vollständiges Universal Lexicon s.v. Erd-Glaß, Frauen-Eiß Wie dann auch einige glauben, daß die Mutter-Gottes dergleichen Glaß gehabt habe, dahero es Marien-Glaß, und bei andern Sperr-Glaß heisset. Zedler lists also a Latin name Glacies Mariae, although this has not been traced elsewhere. In German the substance was earlier called Frauenglas (1718) or, earlier still, Fraueneis (1612). Compare the following example of an anglicized form Maria-glass:1896 A. H. Chester Dict. Names Minerals Maria-glass, from Marienglas, so called because used in fine particles to coat images of the Virgin.