Apatite
/ˈæp.ə.taɪt/noun
A group of phosphate minerals commonly found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.
Did you know?Apatite was named in 1786 by German geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner from Greek apate, “deceit,” because the mineral appears in so many forms and colors that it was famously misidentified as other stones.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ep-
“to seize, take, or reach”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀπάτη (apátē)
“deceit, fraud, trickery”
1786
German/Scientific Latin
Apatit
“a mineral name chosen for its deceptive resemblance to other stones”
Modern English
English
apatite
“a phosphate mineral group”
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