Auriferous
/ɔːˈrɪfərəs/noun
Containing or producing gold.
Did you know?The second half comes from Latin ferre, “to carry,” the same ancient root behind English bear, burden, and birth—turning the word into a linguistic image of gold being carried.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰer-
“To carry, bear, or bring”
Classical Latin
Latin
aurum
“Gold”
Classical Latin
Latin
ferre
“To carry or bear”
Classical Latin
Latin
aurifer
“Gold-bearing; carrying gold”
17th Century
English
auriferous
“Containing or producing gold”
Modern English
English
auriferous
“Gold-bearing, especially of rocks, ores, or geological deposits”