Messinian
/məˈsɪniən/noun
Relating to Messina in Sicily or to the Messinian Age and its associated geological events.
Did you know?The Messinian Salinity Crisis began about 5.96 million years ago when the Mediterranean became largely isolated from the Atlantic, leaving enormous salt deposits behind.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Μεσσήνη (Messḗnē)
“The name of the ancient Greek region and city of Messene; its deeper origin is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek / Sicilian Greek
Greek
Μεσσήνα (Messḗna)
“A Greek form associated with the city later known as Messina in northeastern Sicily.”
Roman period
Latin
Messana
“The Roman name for the Sicilian city of Messina.”
Medieval period
Italian
Messina
“The modern Italian name of the Sicilian port city.”
19th Century
English
Messinian
“An English adjective meaning related to Messina or its surrounding region.”
20th Century
Geological English
Messinian
“A formal geological term for the age approximately 7.25–5.33 million years ago, especially associated with the Mediterranean’s Messinian Salinity Crisis.”