LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

margarīta

margarīta f (genitive margarītae)
Classical[mar.ɡaˈriː.ta]Ecclesiastical[mar.ɡaˈriː.ta]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. pearl
    Et duodecim portae duodecim margaritae sunt per singulas et singulae portae erant ex singulis margaritis[…]And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: […]Late 4th century, Jerome [et al.], transl., edited by Roger Gryson, Biblia Sacra: Iuxta Vulgatam Versionem (Vulgate), 5th edition, Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, published 2007, →ISBN, Apocalypsis [Revelation] 21:21:
  2. a term of endearment

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

gemma alba et parva, quae in conchīs maris invenītur.
margarīta -ae f — in Mille Verba, ch. Vestis et Ōrnāmenta
gemma candida maris
margarītum -ī (n) — in Epistulae, ch. 11

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemargarītamargarītae
genitivemargarītaemargarītārum
dativemargarītaemargarītīs
accusativemargarītammargarītās
ablativemargarītāmargarītīs
vocativemargarītamargarītae

margărīta, ae, f., and margărī-tum, i, n., = μαργαρίτης (λίθος),
I. a pearl,
a. Form margarita (class.), Varr. ap. Non. 213, 30: nego ullam gemmam fuisse, aut margaritam, quin abstulerit, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 1, § 1: ornatus margaritarum, id. Or. 39, 78; cf. Quint. 11, 1, 3: linea margaritarum, Dig. 35, 2, 26: Britannici, Plin. 9, 35, 53, § 105: una pretiosa, Vulg. Matt. 13, 46.— Prov.: ne mittatis margaritas vestras ante porcos, do not cast your pearls before swine, Vulg. Matt. 7, 6.—
b. Form margaritum (rare, not in Cic.): arma margarito candicantia, Varr. ap. Non. 213, 24: gignit et Oceanus margarita, Tac. Agr. 12; Dig. 19, 5, 17, § 1; Tert. ad Ux. 2, 5; id. de Pall. 5; Prud. στεφ. 10, 648; id. Psych. 873.—As a term of endearment, pearl, treasure: Tiberinum margaritum, said of Mæcenas, Aug. ap. Macr. S. 2, 4; Petr. 63, 3.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-Iranian*mr̥gás
  2. Latinmargarīta

Proto-Iranian *mr̥gáhder. Proto-Iranian *mŕ̥ga-ahri-ita-der.? Ancient Greek μαργᾰρῑ́της (margărī́tēs)der. Latin margarīta Derived from Ancient Greek μαργᾰρῑ́της (margărī́tēs).

Descendants
  • Catalanmargarida
  • Frenchmarguerite
  • Englishmargueritefrom French marguerite
  • Italianmargherita
  • Italianmargarita
  • Portuguesemargarida
  • Spanishmargarita
  • Englishmargaritafrom Spanish margarita
  • CatalanMargarida
  • ItalianMargherita

In English words that came into English from margarīta

  • margaritiferousmargarītifer
  • margaritomancymargarīta

Quick answers

What does margarīta mean in Latin?
margarīta, a noun, means “pearl; a term of endearment”.
What is the genitive of margarīta?
The genitive singular is margarītae. margarīta is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce margarīta?
In classical Latin, [mar.ɡaˈriː.ta]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [mar.ɡaˈriː.ta].
Where does margarīta come from?
Proto-Indo-Iranian *mr̥gás → Latin margarīta.