Esmeraldite
/ˌɛzməˈrɔːldaɪt/noun
An obsolete mineralogical name for a green variety of quartz.
Did you know?Esmeraldite belongs to the same long linguistic family as emerald, ultimately tracing back to the ancient Greek name smaragdos for a green gemstone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European era
PIE
*marag-
“A proposed ancient root associated with green or shining stones; its exact reconstruction is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σμάραγδος (smaragdos)
“A green gemstone, especially emerald.”
Classical Latin
Latin
smaragdus
“Emerald or green precious stone.”
Medieval French
Old French
esmeraude / esmeralde
“Emerald; the initial vowel and consonants shifted in medieval Romance forms.”
19th Century
English
esmeraldite
“A mineralogical term formed from an emerald-related stem with the mineral suffix -ite.”
Modern English
English
esmeraldite
“A rare, obsolete name for green quartz.”
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