Retinite
/ˈrɛtɪnaɪt/noun
A dark, opaque variety of fossil resin or amber, typically containing little or no succinic acid.
Did you know?Retinite belongs to the same resin-named family as retsina, the Greek wine traditionally flavored with pine resin—though the mineral itself is fossilized rather than fermented.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ret-
“Possibly connected with resinous or sticky substances; the deeper reconstruction is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥητίνη (rhētínē)
“Resin, especially the resin of a tree.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥητινίτης (rhētinítēs)
“Resin-like or made of resin; formed with the adjectival suffix -itēs.”
18th–19th Century
French
rétinite
“A mineral or fossil resin resembling amber.”
Modern English
English
retinite
“An opaque fossil resin or amber variety.”