Marge Is British Shorthand for Margarine
Marge is margarine, informally. The full word comes from Greek for pearl, after the appearance of the original substance.
Marge is informal British English for margarine. The full word is a chemical coinage: a French chemist named a fatty acid *margaric acid* after Greek *margarites*, a pearl, because its crystals had a pearly lustre, and the butter substitute developed in 1869 took its name from that. The acid was later shown not to exist as a distinct compound, but the product kept the name. Margarine was invented to win a prize offered by Napoleon III for a cheap butter substitute.
- Margarine (informal). *Bread and marge.*
- Margarine — the full word. *A tub of margarine.*
- Margaric acid — the chemical namesake. *Margaric acid.*
- Greek — *margarites*, a pearl. *The source.*
- Marge — an edge, in older poetic use. *The river's marge.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | marge | Some marge. |
| Full form | margarine | Margarine. |
| Greek | margarites | A pearl. |
| Related | Margaret | The name. |
| Archaic | marge | A margin. |
- Spread a bit of marge on it.British informal.
- Margarine was invented in 1869.History.
- Margarites means pearl.Etymology.
The pearl family
- Margarine — named for a pearly lustre
- Margaret — the name means pearl
- Marguerite — the French form, and a daisy
- Margarita — the Spanish form, and the cocktail
- All from Greek *margarites*, a pearl
A shortening of *margarine*, from French, from *margarique*, from Greek *margarites*, a pearl.
Why is margarine named after a pearl?
From margaric acid, named for its pearly crystals. The acid was later found not to be a distinct compound, but the name stuck.
Why was margarine invented?
Napoleon III offered a prize for a cheap butter substitute for the army and the poor. A French chemist won it in 1869.