Derivations of Mineral Names. 31 
GARNET.—From the color and size of the grains—in which 
latter form garnets were first found—they were originally compared 
to the seeds of the pomegranate (malum granatum), and received 
the name lapis granatus therefrom (cfr. Magnus, about 1280). 
L. granum, grain, is the root, although granatus, having the mean- 
ing of grains or seeds, was used by Cato about 200 B.c. In G. 
this has perpetuated itself as Granat, from M. H. G. to the present 
time ; in It., granato ; Sp., granate ; Fr., as grénat. Transposition 
of the letters forming Fr. grénat furnishes the Engl. garnet. 
It is curious to note that, while the Engl. compound word pome- 
granate (G. Granat-apfel) retains the original pai position of 
gr, this has been changed in Engl. garnet. 
ORPIMENT is a corruption of L. auripigmentum, contr. L. aurum, 
gold, and pigmentum (from L. pingere, to paint), color, used by 
Pliny, about A.D. 70. O. H. G. orgimint, M. H. G. orgemint, 
orperment, opriment, opirment, prepared the way for H. G. Operment, 
in which the r of aurum has been entirely dropped and one inserted 
after the p. Sp. oropiment, It., Fr. and Engl. retain the r in 
orpimento and orpiment: 
‘ The first spirit quicksilver cleped is, 
The second orpiment.’ 
—Chaucer, 1340-1400. 
Zircon.—The derivation of this name is somewhat peculiar. 
For many years the Island of Ceylon furnished gems and half 
gems. Some of the latter were utilized to imitate their more valu- 
able associates. Such were called jargon in French? Among 
them were some colourless crystals, and others of yellow and reddish 
shades, which turned white and clear under the application of heat. 
These were especially desirable for the imitation of diamond, and 
to them the name jargon finally attached itself almost exclusively. 
In the middle of the last century Linnzus describes this mineral 
under the name of jargon in such a manner that its identity can be 
established. He states (Ed. Gmelin, 1777) that the (presumably 
German) jewelers’ name for reddish jargons which turned colorless 
in the fire was “ Cerkonier” (Cerkon), and that they exhibited the 
fire and lustre of the poorer quality of diamonds. In 1783, 
1 Linnæus mentions Fr. jargon and It. sargone, yellow diamonds— 
the inferior class—whence the name may have been transferred 
to the stones which counterfeited the valuable gem. ” 
