Jargoon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /d͡ʒɑɹˈɡuːn/

Definitions

1. A variety of zircon known for its transparent and usually colorless or pale yellow appearance used as a gemstone
2. A natural mineral prized in jewelry for its clarity and typically found in pale hues or clear form
3. A gemstone consisting of zircon, often transparent and valued for its light refraction and hardness

Etymology: Jargoon is a variant spelling of zircon, and the two words are doublets: they came into English by separate routes from the same source. The older form reached French as "jargon", a word that originally meant the twittering of birds and only later came to mean gibberish or specialist speech. Its ultimate source is the Arabic "zarqūn", which referred to a red or orange gemstone. That Arabic word passed through Italian as "giargone" before entering French and English. Over time the Arabic root was shaped into forms that could sound like familiar words, which is part of why the same mineral ended up with two spellings in English. The form "jargoon" is the one that kept closer to the French and Italian path, while "zircon" is the spelling that became standard for the mineral itself.