Where does “metaldetector” come from?
metaldetector (Italian) comes from English metal detector, from English metal, from French métal, from German metall, from Italian metallo, from Spanish metal, from Old Spanish metal, from Old French métal — to mine, quarry.
metaldetector (Italian): metal detector
Ancestry of “metaldetector”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | metal detector | A hand-held device that uses electromagnetic... |
| 2 | English | metal | "Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where... |
| 3 | French | métal | metal |
| 4 | German | metall | — |
| 5 | Italian | metallo | metal |
| 6 | Spanish | metal | metal |
| 7 | Old Spanish | metal | metal |
| 8 | Old French | métal | — |
| 9 | Latin | metallum | metal; precious metals, especially gold or... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | μέταλλον | A mine, quarry, or salt pit; metal |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | μέταλλευειν | to mine, quarry |