Where does “merjan” come from?
merjan (Malay) comes from Arabic مَرْجَان, from Classical Syriac ܡܪܰܓܳܢ, from Classical Syriac ܡܰܪܓܳܢܺܝܬܳܐ, from Ancient Greek μαργαρίτης, from Proto-Iranian *mŕ̥ga-ahri-ita-.
Ancestry of “merjan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arabic | مَرْجَان | — |
| 2 | Classical Syriac | ܡܪܰܓܳܢ | pearl-like |
| 3 | Classical Syriac | ܡܰܪܓܳܢܺܝܬܳܐ | pearl |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μαργαρίτης | pearl; a type of Egyptian plant |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | *mŕ̥ga-ahri-ita- | — |