Smaragd
/ˈsmær.æɡd/noun
A green gemstone, especially an emerald; an archaic or literary word.
Did you know?Smaragd ultimately comes from a long chain of ancient words for the emerald, traveling through Greek and Latin into medieval European languages, where gemstones were often linked to healing, protection, and hidden power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*smaragd-
“A prehistorical root reconstructed for a green gem or bright green stone is not securely established; the later word’s ancestry is uncertain at this depth.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σμάραγδος (smáragdos)
“An emerald or bright green gemstone.”
Late Latin
Latin
smaragdus
“An emerald.”
Old French
Old French
esmaragde / esmeraude
“An emerald; forms that helped pass the word into medieval European languages.”
Middle English
English
smaragd
“An emerald, especially in poetic or learned usage.”
Modern English
English
smaragd
“A literary or archaic term for an emerald.”
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