An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Perle
Perle, feminine, ‘pearl,’ from the equivalent Middle High German përle, bërle, Old High German bërla, përala, feminine; a foreign word, as the fluctuating initial sound indicates. It corresponds to the Romance cognates, Italian perla, French perle, whence also English pearl; derived probably from Latin *pirula, ‘little pear.’ In Gothic, marikreitus, a corrupt form of Latin margarita, was used, corresponding to Anglo-Saxon mere-greót, Old High German męri-grioȥ, Middle High German męregrieȥ. —