Etymology of mineral and rock names

Deutsche Version

Very good sources:

École des Mines de Paris
P.W.Harben Inc.: Mineral Names
P.v.d.Krogt: Elementymology
Dr.Dillmann: The world of rocks (German)

Abbreviations:

Amer ... American
Arab ... Arabic
Br ... British
Chin ... Chinese
Caucas ... Caucasian
Fr ... French
Germ ... German
Gr ... Ancient Greek
Hebr ... Hebrew
It ... Italian
Lat ... Latin
Neapol ... Italian dialect spoken in and around Naples
Pers ... Persian
Pol ... Polish
Russ ... Russian
Sanskr ... Sanskrit (ancient language from India)
Sax ... Saxonic (German dialect)
Skand ... Skandinavian
Sl ... Slavic
Singhal ... Singhalese (Sinhala, Sinhalese) - spoken in Sri Lanka
Swed ... Swedish


A-,An-
Gr. a-, an- ...un-
Aegirine
Skand. Sea God Ægir
Agate achates
Gr. Achátes...river in Sicily
Aktino- aktis
Gr. aktìs...beam (after its habitus)
Albite
Lat. albus...white
Alum(inium)
Lat. alumen...alum
Amethyst amethystos
Gr. améthystos after Arab. jamsitun...Amethyst (Greeks derivated it from "methýein"...to be drunk, so they believed it could prevent people from getting drunk - v. "a-")
Amphibolite amphi ballein
Gr. amphì...around, on both sides; bállein...to throw ("ambiguous")
Analcime analkes
Gr. analkés...weak (for its weak electric conductivity)
Anatexis anatexis
Gr. anatéxis...rebirth
Andalusite
Andalucia...Span. region
Andesite
after the Andes Mts. in S-America
Ankerite
Anker...Austrian Mineralogist
Apatite apate
Gr. apáte...deception (because it can easily be mixed up with other min.)
Aplite haplous
Gr. haploûs...simple
Aptychus-limestone
Aptychus: fossil of uncertain origin (because it is harder and more likely to be preserved than associated parts) of the Upper Jurassic: possibilities: bivalve, cover or "tooth" of Ammonites
Aragonite
after the Span. region Aragon
Argyro- argyros
Gr. árgyros...silver
Asbestos asbestos
Gr. ásbestos...indestructible
Azu-
Fr. azur and Span. azul... blue, misinterpretation of the Arab. term *lazu- (v. below) suspecting the leading "l" for the Arab. article
Baryte barys
Gr. barýs...heavy
Basalt basanites basanos
Gr. ?basanítes..."from Basan" (town in Syria) or Gr. básanos...touchstone
Bath- bathys
Gr. bathýs...deep
Bauxite
after deposit Les Baux (Provence F)
Bellerophon-beds
Permian bivalve
Bentonite
Fort Benton, Wyoming USA
Berylle beryllos
Gr. béryllos, Ancient Ind. vaidurya ...berylle (Vaidur / Vailur...town in S-India - today Belur)
biogene bios
Gr. bíos...life; -genos...-created
Biotite
Fr. scientist
blast blaste
Gr. blasté...sprout
breccia
It. breccia...rubble
Brookite
Brit. mineralogist
Brucite
Amer. Mineralogist
Bytownite
old name of Ottawa CDN
Calcite, Caliche
Lat. calx...lime (Span. caliche...lime precipitation area in soil)
Caledonian
Lat. Caledonia...N Scotland
Cardita-beds
Karnian bivalve (Upper Triassic)
Cassiterite kassiterides
Gr. Kassiterídes...Tin Islands (probably Isles of Scilly - SW GB )
Cerussite
Lat. cerussa...white lead
Chalcedone Kalchedon Chalkedon
Gr. Kalchédon / Chalkédon ... today's city Üsküdar (opposite Istanbul TR)
Chalko- chalkos
Gr. chalkós...copper ore
Chamosite
Chamoson in Wallis Valley CH
Chlor- chloros
Gr. chlorós...green
Chrom- chroma
Gr. chrôma...colour
Chryso- chrysos harus harush
Gr. chrysós, Hebr. haruš ...gold; old: Chrysolite = Topase
Clas- klaein
Gr. kláein...to break, to split
Clino- klinein
Gr. klínein...to bend, to tilt (e.g. Monocline...after its oblique crystal axis)
Coelestine
Lat. caelestis, coelestis...celestial, from the sky (blue as the sky)
concordance
Lat. concors...unanimous, harmonious, conformable (opposite of -> discors)
conglomerate
Lat. conglomerare...to make into a ball / clod
Copper
Lat. cuprum...copper (from Gr. chálkos kýprios... Cypriot Ore)
Cordierit
after a Fr. geologist
Cyanite kyanos
Gr. kýanos...blue glaze
Diabase diabasis
Gr. diábasis...transition
Diagenese diagenesis
Gr. diagénesis..."re-formation"
Diamant diamanteuesthai
Gr. *adamant...the invincable (steel, diamond), influenced by Gr.diamanteúesthai...to predict, to foretell
Diaphthorese diaphtheira
Gr. diáphtheira...destruction
Diorite dihorizein
Gr. dihorízein...to distinguish (refers to the amphibole crystals)
Discordance
Lat. discors...unconformable, asunder, animous (opposite of concors)
Dolerite doleros
Gr. dolerós... deceitful (since it is difficult to distinguish it from, e.g., basalt)
Dolomite
after the Fr. mineralogist Dolomieu
Dunite
Dun-Mt., region Nelson, NZ
Eclogite eklegein
Gr. eklégein...to choose, to select
Emerald smaragdos
Gr. smáragdos, Hebr. bareqet...emerald (Fr.: "s"+cons. becomes "é")
Epidote epididomi
? Gr. epidídomi...to gain
Eruption
Lat. erumpere...to burst out
Erythrine erythros
Gr. érythros...red
Eu- eu
Gr. eû...well (e.g. Euclase: for its good cleavage)
Evaporite
Lat. evaporare...to steam out
Facies
Lat. facies...appearance, face
Fluorite
Lat. fluere...to flow
Flysch
Swiss Germ. flyschen...to flow
Franklinite
Franklin, New Jersey USA
Gabbro
after Gabbro, a town in Tuscany, Italy
Garnet
v. Granite
Glauko- glaukos
Gr. glaukós...gleaming greyish blue
Goethite
after the Germ. poet and scientist
Gondwanaland
after an old kingdom in India, today Madhya Pradesh
Granite, Grano-
Lat. granum...grain (after its texture)
Granulite
Lat. granulum... small grain (named by J.W.v.GOETHE)
Graphite graphein
Gr. gráphein...to write (due to its use as a writing material)
Gypsum gypsos
Gr. gýpsos...gypsum
Hal-
v. salt
Haemat- haima
Gr. haîma(t)...blood (Haematite: after its colour)
Harzburgit
Harzburg: town in D
Haüyn
after the Fr. mineralogist Haüy
hercynian
Lat. Hercynia silva...mountains in central Germany and Bohemia, particularly Harz Mts.
Hydr- hydor
Gr. hýdor...water
Hyper- hyper
Gr. hypér...over, above, beyond
Ignimbrite
Lat. ignis...fire, imber...rain: "rain of fire"
Illite
Illinois USA
Ilmenite
after the Ilmen Mts. S-Ural RUS
Inoceramen-Beds
cretaceous bivalve
Intrusion
Lat. intrudere... to push in
Kaolin
Kao-Ling..."High Mountain" in Chin. province Kiangsi
Kimberlit
Kimberley RSA
Kroko- krokos
Gr. krókos, Hebr. karkom...saffron
Krokydo- krokys
Gr. krokýs...(wool) fibre
Kryo- kryos
Gr. krýos...ice
Labradorite
Peninsula E-CDN
Lakko- lakkos
Gr. lákkos...pit
Lampro- lampros
Gr. lampròs...light, glittering
Lasu-
v. Lazu-
Laterite
Lat. later...brick
Latite
Lat. Latium...surroundings of ancient Rome
Laumontite
after a mineralogist
Laurentia
Lat. for East Canada (St.Lawrence Seaway)
Laurasia
from Laurentia (see above) and Asia
Laurussia
from Laurentia (see above) and Russia
Lava
Neapol. lava...episodic torrent
Lazu-
Pers. Lazhward... location in what is today Afghanistan with deposits of Lapis Lazuli; the term came to Europe through the Arab. (which caused misinterpretations - v. "azu-")
Lepido- lepis
Gr. lepís...scale, plate
Leuko-/Leuc- leukos
Gr. leukòs...white
Lherzo- ariege pyrenees
Etang de Lherz...pond in Ariège (Pyrenèes) F
Liparite
Lipari: Island N of Sicily I
-lith lithos
Gr. líthos...stone
Magma massein
Gr. mássein...to knead; mâgma...dough
Magnes-/Magnet- magnesia maiandros
? Magnesía...town at river Maíandros (today Menderes) in Asia Minor TR
Malachite malache
Gr. maláche, Hebr. malluah ...hollyhock
Manganese manganeuein
Lat. magnesia nigra...MnO2; influenced by Gr. manganeúein...to cheat, to trick ?
Markasite marqashitha marqashita
Arab. marqâshîta...flintstone
Mela(no)- melas
Gr. mélas...black, dark
Meta- meta
Gr. metá...(i.a.:) behind, after (e.g. metamorph: "redesigned")
Mica
Lat. mica...a bit; granule
Migmatite meigma
Gr. meîgma(t)...mixture
Mikr- mikros
Gr. mikrós...small
Molasse
Fr.(CH) for poorly cemented tertiary clay or sand sediments at the rim of the Alps
Origin uncertain. Either after Fr.mollasse...soft, wobbly, slack (Lat. mollis...soft), or Lat.mola...millstone
Molybdenum molybdaina
Gr. molýbdaina...lead pellet on fishing line
Monazite monazein
Gr. monázein...to be alone (for its solitary crystals)
Montmorillonite
town in F
Monzonite moena
Monzoni...mountain E of Moèna - Fassa Valley (NE of Trento I)
Morph- morphe
Gr. morphé...form, shape
Muskovite
Moskva RUS (people used to use large crystals as windows there)
Mylonite mylon
Gr. mylón...mill
Nepheline nephele
Gr. nephéle...cloud (after the clouding generated by acids)
Niobium niobe
Gr. Nióbe...legendary daughter of Tantalos
Nontronite
Nontron: town in Dordogne F
Noseane
Nose...Germ. Mineralogist
Obsidian
Lat. obsi(di)anus lapis...stone of Obsius (discoverer in Egypt or Ethiopia) ("di" false reading from Roman author PLINIUS t.E. "De Naturalibus")
Oliv-
Lat. oliva...olive
Oo- oon
Gr. oón...egg
Opal
Sanskr. upala... precious stone
Ophiolite ophis
Gr. ophis...snake (v. serpentine)
Op(s), opt op, ops, opt
Gr. ôps...eye, ôpsis... looking, seeing, optikós ... concerning seeing; looking like...
Ortho- orthos
Gr. orthós...straight (e.g. due to rectangular crystal axes - Orthoclase)
Pegmatite pegma
Gr. pêgma...stuck, congealed matter
Pelite pelos
Gr. pélos...clay, mud
Perthite
town in Ontario CDN
Petalite petalon
Gr. pétalon...leaf, slate (for its cleavage)
Petro- petros
Gr. pétros...rock
Pheno / Phan(ero) phainein phaneros
Gr. phaínein...appear, phanerós...visible
Phenakite phenax
Gr. phénax...cheater (looking like quartz)
Phlogopite phlox
Gr. phlóx...flame, Gr. ôp... "looking like..."
Phono- phone
Gr. phoné...sound, voice
Phos-/Photo- phos phoros
Gr. pháos, Att. phôs...light; Phosphor..."light carrier" (Gr. phorós...carrying)
Phyllite phyllon
Gr. phýllon...leaf (due to its cleavage)
-phyr phyrein
Gr. phýrein...sprinkle, mix
Picrite pikros
Gr. pikrós...bitter
Piso- pisos
Gr. písos...pea
Plagio- plagios
Gr. plágios...oblique, tilted (Plagioclase: oblique cleavage planes)
Plaener
Sax. for "Plauener" Sandstone (Plauen...suburb of Dresden D)
Plutone
Lat. God of the Underworld
poicilitic poikilos
Gr. poíkilos...varied, coloured
Porphyre porphyra
Gr. porphýra...purple snail, purple (after Semitic language)
-prase prason
? Gr. práson...leek (Chrysopras: "gold leek" after its colour)
Prehnite
Germ. Colonel
Proustite
Fr. chemist
Psammite psammos
Gr. psámmos...sand
Psephite psephos
Gr. pséphos...chunk, lump
Psilo- psilos
Gr. psilós...bare, smooth
Pyr- louein
Gr. pyr...fire (Pyrite: since you can produce sparks with it)
Pyrolusite (Gr. loúein...to wash): used as bleaching agent in glass production
Pyrrhotine pyrrhos
Gr. pyrrhós...reddish
Quartz
origin unclear. Either from Slawic (Czech tvrdy, Pol. tvardy...quartz, Old Sl. tvrudu...hard) or from Middle High German querch...dwarf (gangue minerals were often related to dwarves)
Realgare
Arab. rhal-el-ghar...cave powder
Rhodo- rhodon
Gr. rhódon...rose (for its colour)
Rhyo- rhein
Gr. rheîn...flow
Rodinia
Russ. rodina...motherland, homeland
Rutile
Lat. rutilus...reddish brown, yellow-brown
Saltpetre
Lat. sal...salt; petra...stone
Salt hals
Gr. háls...salt (Gr. "h" becomes "s")
Sanidine sanis
Gr. sanís...slab, slate (after its habitus)
Sapphire sappir
Hebr. sappîr...sapphire
Scheelite
after a Swed. chemist
Sediment
Lat. sidere...to settle
Selenite selene
Gr. seléne...moon
Serpentine
Lat. serpens...snake (referring to the skin pattern)
Siderite sideros
Gr. síderos, Caucas. zido...iron
Silic-
Lat. silex...quartz
Sillimanite
Amer. chemist
Skarn
Swed. skarn...shooting star?
Smithsonite
Brit.-Amer. mineralogist
Sphene sphen
Gr. sphén...wedge (for its habitus)
Spodumene spodumenos
Gr. spodoúmenos...reduced to ashes
Stauro- stauros
Gr. staurós...cross (after its twin crystals)
Steatite stear
Gr. stéar...fat (feeling fatty)
-sthen sthenos
Gr. sthénos...strenght (Di-sthene: due to its two different Mohs' strengths; A-stheno-sphere: "sphere without strength" - viscous upper mantle)
Strontium
town Strontian (NG 820620) at Loch Sunart (Co.Argyllshire GB, WSW of Ft.William)
Syenite
Arab. Assuan...Syene Upper Egypt
Taconic
after the Taconic Mts. in the Appallaches (USA)
Talc
Arab. talq...talc
Tantalum tantalos
Gr. Tántalos...legendary son of Zeus
Tecton- tekton
Gr. tékton...builder, craftsman
Tethys tethys
Gr. Tethýs...legendary wife of Okéanos
Tholeiite
Tholey: town in Saarland D
Titanium titan
Gr. Titán...legendary sons of -> Uranós
Topaz
Sanskr. tapus...fire
Trachyte trachys
Gr. trachýs...rough
Trapp
Swed. trapp...stair (after its stairlike structures)
Turbidite
Lat. turbidus...churned, troubled, tangled
Turquoise
since it was imported by Persians across Turkey
Turmaline
Singhal. turamali...turmaline
Uranium Ouranos Uranos
Gr. Ouranós...god of heaven, grandfather of Zeus
Variscian
Variscians: ancient tribe near Hof / N-Bavaria (headwaters of river Saale) D
Vermiculite
Lat. vermiculus...little worm
volcanic
Lat. Vulcanus...legendary God of Fire
Willemite
after a Danish king
Wollastonite
after a Brit. mineralogist
Wulfenite
after an Austrian mineralogist
Wurtzite
after a Fr. chemist
Xeno- xenos
Gr. xénos...strange
Zircone
Arab. sarkun...gold-coloured (after the Pers.?)
Zoisite
after the Slowenian-Austrian baron Sigmund Zois of Edelstein (Ljubljana - Bonhinj)

Back to Christof Kuhn's Homepage


Responsible for content: Christof Kuhn office@geol-info.at
Last modified: Oct 28, 2010