Derivations of Mineral Names. 29 
are traces of an O. G. root mut, which refers to ground, earth, and, 
in Swedish, seems to indicate ore,mine. From this root the second 
syllable of the word may be derived. If the name was given by 
miners—and there is every reason to suppose that it was—then it 
was, in all probability, a descriptive term, denoting either appearance 
or some peculiar property. The above derivation would, therefore, 
determine the meaning of the word as white-ore, or some kindred 
term. Sw. vismut; later, bismut. The change from w or v to 
initial b is due to Latinization. 
2. Besides the names of decidedly dark origin, there are some 
which have changed considerably, in their journeys from nation to 
nation, through the course of centuries. It is interesting to note in 
these, as well as in other instances, that the words have generally 
reached Scandinavia through Germany, England through France. 
EMERALD is the modified form of Sansk. marakata and 
samaraka. In Pers. the latter becomes zamarrad; in Ar., 
zamamth ; in Gr., papaydos and 6yapaydos, with the verb 6uapaydeu 
L., lucere, to shine brightly. In all of these forms, as well 
as in the L. smaragdus, the initial s-sound and the final d-sound 
have been preserved. 
The Gr. and L. form has persisted in the G. and Sw. Smaragd ; 
in It. it is changed to esmeraldo; Sp., to esmeralda. O. Fr. 
retained the prefixed e and the l, using the word esmeraulde ; sub- 
sequently this was modified into emeraude. Our English name 
follows the latter closely in O. Engl. emeraud and emeraulde, but 
has retained the / in emerald: 
oa a’; ol E “ the semes echon 
Was set with emerauds one and ore.” 
— Chaucer, 1340-1400, 
and, later : 
“ Would emulate the emeraulde-like grass.” 
— Stirling, 1614. 
Zuapayðoş was mentioned by Herodotos, about 450 B.c. Usu- 
ally the name was applied to varieties of aquamarine, rather than to 
the emerald, although the ancients were familiar with the latter. 
<. . . « © 6papaydov Atov laurovrtoç tas vuxtas psyatos.”” 
—AHerodotos, II, 446. 
