ἀμάρακον <Unspecified origin; Classical period>
👉 ἀμάρακον [⏑-⏑⏑] n. – ‘marjoram (Origanum majorana L.)’ (Pherecr. 138.3; Thphr., HP 1.9.4, 9.7.3; Thphr., CP 1.4.1; etc.), also ἀμάρακος m. ‘id.’ (Chaerem. 14.16; Thphr., HP 6.1.1, 6.7.4).
⚠ Cf. Dsc. 3.39: σάμψουχον· κράτιστον τὸ Κυζικηνὸν καὶ Κύπριον, δευτερεύει δὲ τούτου τὸ Αἰγύπτιον· καλεῖται δὲ ὑπὸ Κυζικηνῶν καὶ τῶν ἐν Σικελίᾳ ἀμάρακον. – “The marjoram: the best are the Cyzician and the Cyprian; the Egyptian ranks second to them. The people in Sicily and Cyzicos call it amarakon” (trans. L.Y. Beck). Moreover, cf. a similar plant called ὁ ἀμάρακος ὁ Φρύγιος (Thphr., HP 6.8.3), literally, ‘Phrygian marjoram’ (an unidentified species of the genus Origanum L.).
🅔 Perhaps an Oriental word; cf. Sanskrit maruva- and maruvaka- ‘marjoram’ (both attested only in Lexica), but the details are unclear. Cf. a hypothesis that ἀμάρακον is a Pre-Greek word; with comparison, especially, to Hsch. α 84: ἀβαρύ· ὀρίγανον. Μακεδόνες (ms.: Μακεδονίᾳ).
📖 Data: CDIAL: 568; MW: 790. Ref.: GEW: I, 86; KEWA: II, 591; cf. EDG: 82; Furnée 1972: 210f.