English
garnet
Garnet comes from Middle English gernet ‘red, garnet (colour)’, from Old French grenate ‘pomegranate (fruit)’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂- ‘to grow old, to mature’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵerh₂-1‘to grow old, to mature’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400grenate1‘pomegranate (fruit)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gernet1‘red, garnet (colour)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1911garnet1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English garnet
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1911, Max Beerbohm: “On the back of one cover BRADSHAW, in beryls,…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵerh₂-Wiktionary, English garnet‘to grow old, to mature’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400grenateWiktionary, English garnet‘pomegranate (fruit)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gernetWiktionary, English garnet‘red, garnet (colour)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1911garnetWiktionary, English garnet. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1911, Max Beerbohm: “On the back of one cover BRADSHAW, in beryls,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂- ‘to grow old, to mature’
grain, carl, corn, granite, karl, grange, kernel, kern, geriatrics, granary, granule, churlish, 13 more
through Old French grenate ‘pomegranate (fruit)’
Today it means
noun A hard transparent mineral that is often used as gemstones and abrasives.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “garnet”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂- / garnet