mine English · revision 2628

+ English has two words spelled ''mine'': the possessive pronoun, from Old English, and the excavation, from French and probably of Celtic origin.^(AHD 2000)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /maɪn/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|belonging to me}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725 (Beowulf)|origins=gem-pro *mīnaz}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The pronoun is [[inh|enm|min]], [[inh|ang|mīn|t=mine, my]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from [[gem-pro|*mīnaz]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) the source also of Old Saxon and Old High German [[m|goh|mīn]], Dutch [[m|nl|mijn]], German [[m|de|mein]], Old Norse [[m|non|minn]] and Gothic meins,^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) an adjective formed from the old genitive of the first-person pronoun, the base of [[me]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) [[my]] is a shortened form of it.^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English mīn: about 725, in ''Beowulf''.^(Barnhart 1988) Middle English mine is from 1100.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As an adjective before its noun, ''mine'' was replaced from the 13th century by ''my'' when the noun is expressed;^(Etymonline) Hoad notes that the final ''n'' was already dropped before a consonant in the 13th century.^(Hoad 1986) As a noun, “my people, my family”, it is Old English.^(Etymonline) In ''this heart of mine'' and ''no fault of mine'' it is a double genitive.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – ''mīn'', in ''Beowulf''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1100 – Middle English ''mine''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 13th century – replaced by ''my'' before a noun.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # The one or ones belonging to me: ''the book is mine''.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ===Determiner===

+ # ''(archaic)'' My, used before a vowel or ''h'': ''mine eyes''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ {{homograph|2|excavation}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=1303 (Mannyng, Handlyng Synne)|origins=cel-pro *meini-}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The excavation is [[inh|enm|myne]], [[bor|fro|mine|t=vein, lode; shaft; ore]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) also Medieval Latin mina, minera “ore”,^(Etymonline) perhaps from the Old French verb miner,^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) probably through Vulgar Latin *mīna^(MWU 2024)^(AHD 2000) from a Celtic source,^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000)^(Klein 1966) [[cel-pro|*meini-]]:^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) compare Welsh [[m|cy|mwyn|t=ore]] and Irish méin “ore, mine”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002) Etymonline notes that Italy and Greece were poor in minerals, while there was early extensive mining in Celtic lands such as Cornwall.^(Etymonline) The verb is Middle English minen, from Old French miner.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A pit or tunnel dug to extract metals and minerals: 1303, in Mannyng's ''Handlyng Synne''.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) The verb is probably before 1300.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A tunnel under fortifications to bring them down is from about 1400^(Etymonline) or 1483,^(OED 1989) and the verb in this sense from about 1300.^(Etymonline) An abundant source of something, as in ''a mine of information'', is from 1541.^(OED 1989) ''Mine'' was also used for ore itself from about 1400, now only for iron ore.^(OED 1989) The verb meant “to dig in the earth” from the mid-14th century, and figuratively “to ruin by slow or secret means” from the same time.^(Etymonline) From the old tactic of tunnelling under fortifications to blow them up, ''mine'' came to mean an explosive charge, and the verb “to lay explosive mines” is from the 1620s.^(Etymonline) ''Miner'' is from about 1303, and earlier for one who undermined fortifications.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1300 – verb, to dig a mine.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1303 – an excavation for minerals.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1400 – a tunnel under fortifications; ore.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1541 – an abundant source.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1620s – to lay explosive mines.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An excavation in the earth from which [[coal]], ore or minerals are dug.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # An abundant source: ''a mine of information''.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # An explosive device placed underground or in water.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # ''(historical)'' A tunnel dug under enemy fortifications.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To dig a mine, or extract minerals from one.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # To lay explosive mines in or under.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # To search a source for something useful: ''to mine data''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[miner]]

+ * [[mining]]

+ * [[minefield]]

+ * [[landmine]]

+ * [[undermine]]

+ * [[mineral]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[me]]

+ * [[my]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}