Etymology: < Anglo-Norman margarite pearl, Old French margarite, margerite pearl, daisy (12th–13th cent.; Middle French, French marguerite marguerite n.) < classical Latin margarīta pearl < Hellenistic Greek μαργαρίτης (already in ancient Greek, denoting an Egyptian plant; also Hellenistic Greek μαργαρῖτις λίθος and μαργαρῖτις , μαργαρὶς λίθος and μαργαρίς ) < Hellenistic Greek μάργαρον pearl-oyster, pearl, μάργαρος pearl-oyster (in medieval Greek also ‘pearl’) + -ίτης (see -ite suffix¹). The further etymology is unknown; Pliny refers to the Greek word as ‘barbarous’, probably implying that it is regarded as of eastern origin. Although there are parallels in the Iranian group of languages (compare Parthian murgārīt, Middle Persian morwārīd (Persian marvārīd), Pashto marγalara pearl) it is unlikely to have originated there (Iranian scholars consider it a loanword < Greek); compare also Armenian margarit (a loanword < Persian), Sanskrit mañjarī cluster of flowers, (in lexicographical sources) pearl, and Syriac margānīt pearl.Compare Spanish margarita (1220–50), Italian margarita (13th cent.), margherita . In forms in -et(e) probably assimilated to the female forename Margaret (see Margaret n. and discussion of form history s.v.). The French etymon was later readopted as marguerite n. An early Germanic loan < Latin or Greek shows assimilation of the first element to the base of mere n.¹ (and of the second element in Old English probably to grot n.¹ and in Old High German probably partly to grioz grit n.¹): Old English meregrot, meregrota, Old Saxon merigrīta, Old High German merigrioz, meregriez, marigreoz, merigrōz (Middle High German mergriez, merigrieze), Gothic marikreitus.

Etymology: < German Margarit (attributed to J. N. Fuchs in A. Breithaupt Vollständige Charakteristik des Mineral-Syst. (1823) 183) < Hellenistic Greek μάργαρον pearl (see margarite n.¹) + German -it -ite suffix¹.