Argentiferous
/ˌɑːr.dʒənˈtɪf.ər.əs/noun
Containing or producing silver.
Did you know?Although argentiferous is a geological term, its root argentum named silver—the metal traditionally associated with the Moon in alchemy and astrology.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂erǵ- / *h₂rǵ-ent-
“Shining or gleaming; the ancestral root associated with silver’s bright appearance”
Ancient Latin
Latin
argentum
“Silver; a bright or shining metal”
Classical Latin
Latin
ferre
“To carry, bear, or produce”
Late Latin / Scientific Latin
Latin
argentifer
“Silver-bearing; carrying silver”
19th Century
English
argentiferous
“Containing or yielding silver, especially in mineralogical descriptions”
Modern English
English
argentiferous
“Containing or producing silver”