Mine
/maɪn/noun
A hole or excavation in the earth from which minerals are extracted, or a place where explosive charges are planted.
Did you know?English mine is tied to an ancient Germanic word for digging and cutting out, which also survives in words like mineral and mineral-related terms—not magic, but definitely the language of buried treasure and danger.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“To cut, change, or make an incision”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*minǭ
“A mine, pit, or excavation”
Old English
OE
mīn
“A mine or underground excavation”
Middle English
ME
mine
“An excavation made to extract ore or minerals”
Modern English
English
mine
“A place dug into the earth to extract minerals, or an explosive device hidden underground”