Etymologically
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mineral

Etymology and origin of the English word mineral

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
before 1393
Ultimate origin
Medieval Latin (minerale)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈmɪn.ə.ɹəl/, /ˈmɪn.ɹəl/ (UK); /ˈmɪn.ə.ɹəl/, /ˈmɪn.ɚ.əl/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English, from Old French mineral and directly from Medieval Latin minerāle, something mined,[2][3][4] the noun use of the neuter of minerālis, pertaining to mines,[2][3] from minera, a mine, ore, from Old French miniere, from mine (see mine).[3][2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A variety of the philosophers' stone, in alchemy: before 1393, in Gower's Confessio Amantis;[3][6] a substance obtained by mining, the late 14th century in Etymonline, probably before 1425 in Barnhart.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

An ore of a metal is first recorded before 1449.[3] A substance neither animal nor vegetable, inorganic, is attested from the early 15th century[2] (1602 in the OED),[6] and the sense impregnated with minerals is first in mineral water (early 15th century; 1562 in Barnhart).[2][3] The modern scientific sense, a naturally occurring inorganic body of definite composition, came later.[2][7] Mineralogy is from 1690, in Boyle.[3] In British use minerals are soft drinks.[8]

Timeline

  • before 1393 – a philosophers' stone.[3]
  • before 1425 – a mined substance.[3]
  • before 1449 – an ore.[3]
  • 1562 – mineral water.[3]
  • 1690 – mineralogy.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A naturally occurring inorganic solid with a characteristic crystalline form and chemical composition.
  2. Any substance obtained by mining, such as a metal ore, coal or salt.
  3. Any inorganic matter, neither animal nor vegetable.
  4. (British) A soft drink; mineral water.

Adjective

  1. Of, containing or relating to minerals.

Word family

  • macromineral
  • mineralize
  • mineralocorticoid
  • mineraloid
  • nonmineral
  • mineral oil
  • mineral tar
  • mineral water

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  4. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  8. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Mineral.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/mineral. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·