marjoram
(ˈmɑːdʒərəm)
Forms: α. 4–6 maiorane, 5 mageron, -am, maioron, -um, 6 maioram, -om, magerym, 6–7 majoram, 7 -an. β. (chiefly Sc.) 6 mar-, meriolyne, maryolayn, margelene, 7 majorlame. γ. 6. margerain, -am, -om(e, -um, -yn, marierum, -ierom, -ioram, -om, merierum, -gerum, 6–7 marierome, 7 -jerim, -jerom(e, -jorom, -gorum, Sc. margorie, 7–9 marjorum, 7– marjoram. (In the earlier forms i = j.)
[a. OF. majorane (13th c.), *marjoraine, whence F. (from 14th c.) by dissimilation marjolaine, = Pr. majorana, Sp. majorana, mayorana, now usually mejorana, Pg. mariorana, mangerona, It. majorana, maggiorana, Rumanian măgheran, med.L. majorāna (once majoraca or -us). The Rom. word has passed into the Teut. and other langs., as MDu. mayoleine, margelleine, meieraen (mod.Du. marjolein), MHG. margram, meigramme, meyeron, maigaron, maioran, etc. (mod.G. majoran, dial. meigram), Sw. mejram, Da. merian, Russian (? from G.) maeran, mod.Gr. µατζουράνα.
The ultimate etymology is obscure. Many of the Rom. forms appear to have been perverted by assimilation to L. mājor (It. maggiore, Sp. mayor) greater. There seems to be no adequate ground for the current assumption that the ultimate source is the L. amāracus (a. Gr. ἀµάρακος, -ον), which was in the Middle Ages identified, perh. correctly, with marjoram.]
Any plant of the genus Origanum (family Labiatæ); esp. O. vulgare, wild marjoram (common marjoram, field marjoram, † grove m.), a common plant in limestone or chalky districts, and O. Majorana, sweet marjoram († marjoram gentle, † English marjoram, † fine marjoram, knotted m.), an aromatic herb used in cookery. O. Onites is pot marjoram or winter marjoram, O. heracleoticum, winter sweet marjoram.
| α 1390 Gower Conf. III. 133 Of Majorane his herbe is grounded. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 319/2 Mageram [K. maiorum, S. mageron, P., W. magerym, J. margeryn]. 1481 Botoner Tulle of Old Age f 5 Rosemarynes, maiorons, gylofres. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 95 Maierom knotted, sowe or set at the spring. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. ccvii. 539 Marierome is called..in English Sweete Marierome, Fine Marierome, and Marierome gentle; of the best sort Maiorane. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 382 Maioran,..in Cyprus & at Mitylene, where great store of sweet Majoran grows. |
| β 1513 Douglas æneis i. x. 69 Tendir mariolyne [L. mollis amaracus] and sweit flouris. 1527 Andrew Brunswyke's Distyll. Waters L vi b. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xv. 10 Thow Lauand, lurk; thow time, be tint; Thow Margelene, swaif. 1689 in Thanes of Cawdor (Spald. Club) 353, 1 unce Majorlame, 10s. |
| γ 1523 Skelton Garl. Laurel 906 With margerain ientyll, The flowre of goodlyhede. c 1550 Lloyd Treas. Health xv. E v b, Let thy teeth be washed with the decoction of wilde Margerum [1585 Margeram]. 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. lxix. 236 Origanum Heracleoticum. Spanish Origan. Bastard Margerom. Origanum syluestre. Wilde Origan. Groue Margerom. Ibid. 237 Marum quibusdam. English Margerom. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. ccvii. 539 The pot Marierome is also called Winter Marierome. Ibid. ccix. 543 Tragoriganum. Goates Marierome. 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. 12 The wilde or field Marjerome. 1656 Marnettè Perf. Cook ii. 1 Take the tops of Time and Margerum and Winter Savoury, a handfull of each. 1689 in Thanes of Cawdor (Spald. Club) 352 Sweit Margorie thrie drap, 6s. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 318 Marjoram, winter sweet. 1856 Miss Mulock J. Halifax xxi. (1859) 220 A plant of wild marjoram. 1882 Garden 25 Feb. 137/1 Knotted Marjoram, sweet Savory, and Sweet Basil are much sought after in early spring. |
b. attrib. and
Comb., as
marjoram bed,
marjoram leaf;
marjoram-leaved adj.;
marjoram camphor, a camphor obtained from oil of marjoram (Watts
tr. Gmelin's Handbk. Chem. 1860, XIV. 379).
| 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 115 Thy Marjoram-beds so doubly sweet. 1811 A. T. Thomson Lond. Disp. (1818) 277 Common Marjoram leaves. 1882 Garden 4 Feb. 82/3 The Marjoram-leaved Toadflax. |