marvārīt

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `pearl' (Thphr., Str., Ael., Arr., NT).

Derivatives: f. - ῖτις ( λίθος) `id.' (Ath., Isid. Char.), dimin. - ιτάριον ( PHolm.). Besides, prob. as backformation (cf. below), μάργαρον `id.' ( Anacreont., PHolm.), - ος m. f. `id.' (Tz.), also `Indian pearlmussel' (Ael.), - ίς ( λίθος) `pearl' (Philostr.,Hld.), pl. - ίδες as name of a pearllike kind of date-palm (Plin.); - ίδης m. (Praxag.).

Origin: LW [a loanword which is (probably) not of Pre-Greek origin] Iran.

Etymology: Oriental LW [loanword], acc. to Schiffer Rev. de phil. 63, 45ff. first from Iranian, MPers. marvārīt, NPers. marvā-rī δ `pearl'; details in Redard 56 f. Acc. to older view (s. Bq and Schrader-Nehring Reallex. 2, 159) from Skt. mañjarī `flowering but' (ep. class.), `pearl' (lex.), with - ίτης added after the many stone-names. The by-form mañjara- n. would agree well with μάργαρον, but the late and rare ocurrence of both the Skt. and Greek form is no support for a direct identification. See now Gershevitch in De Fochécour-P. Gignoux, Etudes iranoaryennes G. Lazars, 1989, 113-136 (from Iran. *mr̥ga-ahri-ita- `born from the shell of a bird' = oyster). - From μαργαρίτης Lat. margarita etc., s. W.-Hofmann s. v.

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