[Early Modern English margeram, alteration (influenced by Middle French marjolaine) of Middle English majorane, mageram, from Old French majorane, from Medieval Latin maiorana, alteration (influenced by māior, greater) of Late Latin mezurana, perhaps of Near Eastern origin; akin to Persian marzangōš, from Middle Persian, perhaps alteration (influenced by marzān, mouse, and gōš, ear, in reference to the shape of the plant's small pilose leaves) of earlier *mardgōš (source of Arabic mardaqūš), perhaps ultimately from a Near Eastern areal word that was also the source of Greek amārakon and ancient Macedonian abarú.]