Etymology Dictionary

BALAS-RUBY,  a variety of ruby, of a pale rose red, or inclining to orange.  (F.,—Low Lat.—Arab.,—Pers.)   Formerly balais, balays.   Palsgrave has 'balays, a prescious stone, balé.'   Cotgrave explains F. balay as 'a balleis ruby.'—F. balais, a balas-ruby (Littré); O.F. balais, balai (id.); also balay, balé, as above.—Low Lat. balascius, balascus, balasius, balassus, balagius, a balas-ruby (Ducange).   Cf. Ital. balascio, Span. balax.—Arab. balakhsh, a ruby (given by Devic, Supp. to Littré, q.v.)—Pers. badakhshí, a ruby; so called because found at Badakhsh, or Badakhshán, 'the name of the country between India and Khurásán from whence they bring rubies;' Rich. Dict. p. 249.   Badakhshan lies to the N. of the river Amoo (Oxus), and to the E. of a line drawn from Samarcand to Cabul; see Black's Atlas.   The change from d to l is precisely the change found in Lat. lacrima for dacrima.   Cf. Malagasy with Madagascar.