Etymology Dictionary

SABLE,  an animal of the weasel kind, with dark or black fur; also, the fur.  (F.,—Slavonic)   M. E. sable, Chaucer, Compl. of Mars, 284; the adj. sabeline occurs much earlier, O. Eng. Homilies, ed. Morris, i. 181, l. 362.—O. F. sable, the sable (Burguy); 'the colour sables, or black, in blazon;' Cot.   Cf. Low Lat. sabelum, the sable; sabelinus, sable-fur, whence the O. F. sebelin, M. E. sabeline; the mod. F. zibeline, properly an adj., is also used for the animal itself.  Of Slavonic origin.—Russ. sobole, the sable, also a boa or fur-tippet.   Der. sable, sb. and adj.   The best fur being black, sable also means black, as in heraldry; see Hamlet, ii. 2. 474, iii. 2. 137, iv. 7. 81.   ¶ It is sometimes said that the name of the sable is taken from Siberia, where it is found.   I do not believe it.   The Russ. sobole, a sable, does not resemble Sibíre, Siberia; nor does the adj. form sabeline (in O. F.) approach Sibirskii or Sibiriak', Siberian. [†]

ADDENDA

'Lettres enameld with sable and asure;' Caxton, tr. of Reynard, c. 32, ed. Arber, p. 81 (1481).   Sable and azure are the heraldic names for black and blue.