Saluton, being a speaker of Esperanto, I'm mostly a listener to your
chats and conversations. However, I'm glad that now I can contribute
something useful, namely the etymology of "Brille". The info is from
"Deutsches Universalwörterbuch" (write if you need bibliographical
informations): 
midhighgerman: berillus, berille from LAtin beryllus - since this gem
was used for the very first eyeglasses.

(By the way: I would have written this in Esperanto, but since some of
you react very strongly against this language. I've only some reading
practise of Interlingua - so please forgive ny clumsy English grammar).
Samideanaj salutoj el Danio - Wolfgang Kirschstein 

>----------
>From:  Stan Mulaik[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent:  21. marts 1997 19:25
>To:    [log in to unmask]
>
>On 20 Mar 1997 22:11:42 -0500, in sci.lang.translation you wrote:
>
>>Could someone please provide the etymologies for the
>>German Brille (eyeglasses) and the Italian _occhiali_
>>(eyeglasses)?  Is the Italian from "oculares" or
>>something like the plural of ocular?  The German Brille,
>>does it come from beryl?  Howso?
>
>I can give you only the etymology of the Italian word .
>
>The word 'occhiali' comes from the expression  '(vetro) occhiale' i.e.
>'glass to be put before the eye'. ('occhiali' is the plural of 'occhiale')
>Of course the adjective 'occhiale' comes from the noun 'occhio' which
>derives form the Latin word 'oculum'.
>
>Hope this helps. Ciao from Italy.
>
>
>
>-------------------------------------------
>Carlo Mario Chierotti - Acqui Terme, Italia
>http://aquarius.net/Cmc_eng.htm
>-------------------------------------------
>in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>Isto pare "vitros oculal", mais melior es "vitros ocular", assi
>"oculares" es in le spirito de isto.  On pote anque dicer "lentes ocular",
>e abbreviar lo a "oculares".  O on pote dicer como le espanioles,
>"anteoculos".
>
>Stan Mulaik
>