Beryl
/ˈbɛr.ɪl/noun
A hard, transparent to opaque mineral species that includes gemstones such as emerald and aquamarine.
Did you know?Beryl’s name passed through Greek and Latin from an ancient source word for a precious stone, and its gemstone family later became the home of emerald and aquamarine.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βήρυλλος (bḗryllos)
“A precious greenish-blue gemstone, likely a beryl or similar stone.”
Latin
Latin
beryllus
“A beryl gemstone.”
Old French
Old French
beril
“Beryl, the gemstone.”
Middle English
English
beril
“Beryl; a precious stone.”
Modern English
English
beryl
“A mineral species including gemstones such as emerald and aquamarine.”