mint English · revision 15080

+ Mint, the herb, and mint, a place where money is coined, are separate words, both early borrowings from Latin.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɪnt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|herb}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 800|origins=grc μίνθη}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The herb is [[inh|enm|minte]], [[inh|ang|minte]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[gmw-pro|*minta]],^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|la|menta]], also [[m|la|mentha]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from [[grc|μίνθη|tr=mínthē]],^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(Cresswell 2021) probably a loanword from a lost Mediterranean language.^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) Other early Germanic borrowings are [[osx|minta]], [[dum|mente]] and [[goh|minza]] (modern [[de|Minze]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) In Greek myth Minthe was a nymph whom Proserpine turned into the herb.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Before 800 in Barnhart, about 975 in the OED, the 8th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The same Greek word lies behind [[menthol]], from the mid-19th century.^(Cresswell 2021) A sweet flavoured with mint is also called a mint.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 800 – minte.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 975 – mint, the herb.^(OED 1989)

+ * mid-19th century – menthol.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Any of various aromatic plants of the genus ''Mentha'', whose leaves are used for flavouring.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A sweet flavoured with mint.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[peppermint]]

+ * [[spearmint]]

+ * [[minty]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|money}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 725|origins=la monēta}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The place for coining is [[inh|enm|mynt]], [[inh|ang|mynet|t=coin, money]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from [[gmw-pro|*munita]], [[bor|la|monēta|t=mint, coin, money]] (see [[money]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024)^(Cresswell 2021) which also gave [[ofs|menote]], [[osx|munita]], [[dum|munte]] and [[goh|munizza]] (modern [[de|Münze]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A coin, money: about 700 in Barnhart, about 725 in the OED; the sense survived after the 16th century only in Scots.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A place where money is coined is from 1423;^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) an earlier word for it was minter (early 12th century).^(Etymonline) Figuratively, a place where anything is made is from 1555,^(OED 1989) and a vast sum of money from the 1650s,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) though people have ''made a mint'' since the late 16th century.^(Cresswell 2021) The verb, to coin money, is from about 1520 in Merriam-Webster, 1546 in Barnhart,^(MWU 2024)^(Barnhart 1988) and the mint mark from 1797.^(Etymonline) ''In mint condition'', as good as a newly minted coin, is from 1902.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – a coin, money.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1423 – a place for coining.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1520 – to mint (verb).^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1650s – a vast sum of money.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1797 – mint mark.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1902 – mint condition.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A place where coins are made by government authority.^(AHD)

+ # A place where something is invented or produced.^(AHD)

+ # ''(informal)'' A vast amount of money: ''to make a mint''.^(AHD)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To make coins by stamping metal.^(AHD)

+ # To invent or fabricate.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # In perfect condition, as if new: ''in mint condition''.^(AHD)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mintage]]

+ * [[minter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[money]]

+ * [[monetary]]

+ * [[calamint]]

+ * [[menthol]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}