English → Latin
“pearl” in Latin
margarītapearl; a term of endearmentūniōa unity, union; the number one, oneness, unity; a single large pearlelenchuscostly trinket (especially an earring); refutation; listtympanumdrum, timbrel, tambour, tambourine; eardrumtympănĭuma precious stone shaped like a tambourinemargarītāriuspearly, of or pertaining to pearls
The English word pearl itself goes back to Latin perula, through *pernula.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
pearl
margarita (μαργαρίτης, general term): unio (single large pearl): elenchus (ἔλεγχος, large pear-shaped pearls, worn three together, as pendants to ear-rings; Böttiger’s Sabina): tympanum or tympanium (τύμπανον or τυμπάνιον, from being in the shape of a kettle-drum; quibus una tantum est facies et ab ea rotunditas, aversis planities, ob id tympania vocantur; Plin.). To deal in pearls, negotium margaritarum exercere (after Aurelius Victor, De Vir. Illustr., 72): a dealer in pearls, margaritarius (feminine, -a): the pearl-fishery, margaritarum conquisitio: to be engaged in the pearl-fishery, margaritas conquirere (but ☞ margaritas urinari is absurd; it arose probably froma misunderstanding of Plin., 9, 35, 55 extr., margaritas urinantium cura peti): a wreath of pearls, *corolla margaritis distincta: a siring of pearls, or pearl-necklace, linea margaritarum: a necklace of one string of pearls, monolinum; of two, dilinum; of three, trilinum: to wear a pearl-necklace, margaritis in linea uti (Ulp.): pearl ornaments, ornamenta, in quibus margaritae insunt (Paullus, Dig., 34, 2, 32, § 7): mother-of-pearl, unionum concha (or conchae): inlaid, etc., with mother-of-pearl, unionum conchis distinctus (Suet., Ner., 31): a diver for pearls, urinator or urinans (diver).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for pearl?
- The usual Latin words for “pearl” are margarīta, ūniō, elenchus; also tympanum, tympănĭum, margarītārius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.