Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mining” come from?

Mining derives from English mine, which comes from French mine, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men-, a root meaning to project or protrude, referring to ore deposits that emerge from earth.

mining (English): The activity of removing solid valuables from the...

Definitions

  1. The activity of removing solid valuables from the...

Ancestry of “mining”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmineMy; belonging to me; that which belongs to me;...
2Middle EnglishmynAlternative form of min
3Old Englishmīnmy, mine
4Proto-Germanic*mīn—
5Proto-Germanicmīnazmy, mine; 1st person singular possessive
6Proto-Indo-Europeanméynosmy; mine
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmeito fix, to build fortifications or fences

Words derived from “mining”

  • coalmining
  • nonmining
  • postmining
  • phytomining
  • biomining
  • antimining
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mei →