Where does “lignite” come from?
Lignite comes from French lignite, formed from Latin lignum (wood) plus the French suffix -ite, which derives from Latin -ites, from Ancient Greek -ίτης, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- meaning to gather or collect.
lignite (English): A low-grade, brownish-black coal
Definitions
- A low-grade, brownish-black coal
Ancestry of “lignite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | lignite | lignite type of coal |
| 2 | Latin | -ite | ablative singular of -ītēs; vocative singular of... |
| 3 | Latin | -ites | adjective-forming suffix, especially of... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ίτης | Suffix forming a masculine noun: one connected... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πολῑ́της | citizen |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -της | Forms nouns representing a state of being; Added... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | -tāts | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |