Where does “metal” come from?
metal (Portuguese) 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.
metal (Portuguese): metal; metal; heavy metal; money; wealth; riches
Definitions
- metal; metal; heavy metal; money; wealth; riches
Ancestry of “metal”, step by step
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 |
via Old Portuguese metal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Portuguese | metal | — |