1790, from Late Latin granulum "granule, a little grain," diminutive of Latin granum "grain, seed" (from PIE root *gre-no- "grain") + -ar. Replaced granulous (late 14c.). Related: Granularity.
Entries linking to granular
*gre-no-
*grə-no-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "grain."
It forms all or part of: corn (n.1); filigree; garner; garnet; grain; granary; grange; granger; granite; granular; granule; grenade; grenadine; kernel; pomegranate.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Latin granum "seed," Old Church Slavonic zruno "grain," Lithuanian žirnis "pea," Old English corn.
-ar
word-formation element meaning "pertaining to, of the nature of," from Latin -arem, -aris "of the kind of, belonging to," a secondary form (by dissimilation) of -alis, used after syllables with an -l- (such as insularis for *insulalis, stellaris for *stellalis).