What does the word Crayola mean?

[Corwin12]

Any guesses? .... No cheating!

 

[SwedishMeatball]

Oh, I heard about this on Oprah a couple months back, but I can't remember.

 

[Tim Gunn]

Not sure but it ties into your greeting card question nicely since Crayola is owned by Hallmark.

 

[denisenh]

colored wax that tastes bad and sticks in your teeth?

 

[Cool-Beans]

Crayon?

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

Crayon. I think it's French.

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

Okay. After answering, I cheated. =] But I'm going to stay quiet about this and NOT give out the answer!.

 

[Corwin12]

ok, you can cheat now ... I want to go to bed and I want all these questions answered first.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Crayon. I think it's French.

I'm thinking more Spanish or Portuguese.

I guess it isn't "crayon," though.

 

[Corwin12]

it is french

 

[Corwin12]

"Oily chalk" is the answer.

 

[Cool-Beans]

it is french

That's really odd! Words ending in "ola" aren't generally French. And they "ay" sound in French is usually not spelled that way!

You learn something new every day.

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

Wikipedia said that cray is french for chalk.

And the Spanish word, they believe, for crayon is creyon.

I think. I don't remember. And Now I gave it away.

I contradicted myself.

 

[RadioNate]

According to the Binny&Smith website

The Crayola name, coined by Edwin Binney's wife Alice, comes from "craie," the French word for chalk, and "ola," from "oleaginous."

http://www.binney-smith.com/page.cfm?id=11&hasFlash=false

under the 1903 tab