Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “metal” come from?

Metal comes from Middle English metal, from Old French metal, from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον, derived from the verb μέταλλευειν meaning to mine or quarry.

metal (English): "Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where...

Definitions

  1. "Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where...

Ancestry of “metal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchmétalmetal
2Germanmetall—
3Italianmetallometal
4Spanishmetalmetal
5Old Spanishmetalmetal
6Old Frenchmétal—
7Latinmetallummetal; precious metals, especially gold or...
8Ancient GreekμέταλλονA mine, quarry, or salt pit; metal
9Ancient Greekμέταλλευεινto mine, quarry

Words derived from “metal”

  • metalwork
  • metalworking
  • bimetallism
  • metallization
  • gunmetal
  • metalliferous
  • nonmetal
  • metalloid
  • metalworker
  • metallographic
  • monometallism
  • metalorganic
  • bimetallist
  • bimetal
  • metallism
  • metallography
  • metalware
  • metalsmith
  • semimetal
  • metalline
  • metalsmithing
  • monometallist
  • metallation
  • metalworks
Every word from Ancient Greek μέταλλευειν →