zircon

Where does the word "zircon" come from? It comes from Persian zargun, passing through Arabic, French and German before entering English (1794).

Zircon’s story begins in Persian: zargun meant “gold-colored.” Literally "gold-colored", describing the gemstone. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Arabic as zarqun. Literally "cinnabar", reinterpreted as a name for golden-hued gems. From there it passed into French as jargon by 1700s. A vague gem-trade term (via Medieval Latin jargonce) for pale, diamond-like gemstones. German picked it up next, as Zirkon, around 1789. Coined by chemist Martin Klaproth, adapting French jargon, for the newly identified mineral. It reached English by 1794 as zircon. Martin Klaproth identified zirconium in zircon in 1789. Today, zircon means a hard, brilliant mineral used as a gemstone.

1. Stage 1 · Persian · medieval zargun "gold-colored", literally "gold-colored", describing the gemstone.
2. Stage 2 · Arabic · medieval zarqun "cinnabar; a golden gemstone", literally "cinnabar", reinterpreted as a name for golden-hued gems.
3. Stage 3 · French · 1700s jargon "a pale gemstone", a vague gem-trade term (via Medieval Latin jargonce) for pale, diamond-like gemstones.
4. Stage 4 · German · 1789 Zirkon "the zirconium silicate mineral", coined by chemist Martin Klaproth, adapting French jargon, for the newly identified mineral.
5. Stage 5 · English · 1794 zircon "a hard, brilliant gemstone", Martin Klaproth identified zirconium in zircon in 1789.