'argol' originates from French, specifically the word 'argol'.

'argol' changed from Medieval Latin word 'argolium' (recorded in late medieval technical texts) and eventually became the modern English word 'argol' via Old French borrowings.

Initially, it meant 'a crust or sediment formed in wine casks,' and over time this specific sense has been retained, with later chemical usage specifying the compound (impure potassium tartrate).