Where does “non-metal” come from?
non-metal (English) comes from English metal, from French métal, from German metall, from Italian metallo, from Spanish metal, from Old Spanish metal, from Old French métal, from Latin metallum — to mine, quarry.
non-metal (English): Alternative form of nonmetal
Definitions
- Alternative form of nonmetal
Ancestry of “non-metal”, step by step
non-metal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English metal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | metal | "Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where... |
| 2 | French | métal | metal |
| 3 | German | metall | metal |
| 4 | Italian | metallo | metal |
| 5 | Spanish | metal | metal |
| 6 | Old Spanish | metal | metal |
| 7 | Old French | métal | metal material |
| 8 | Latin | metallum | metal; precious metals, especially gold or... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | μέταλλον | A mine, quarry, or salt pit; metal |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | μέταλλευειν | to mine, quarry |