Samarsky
/səˈmɑːr.ski/noun
A Russian surname meaning “of or associated with Samara,” also used in the name of the mineral samarskite through the surname of Vasily Samarsky-Bykhovets.
Did you know?The element samarium was named after samarskite, a mineral named for Vasily Samarsky-Bykhovets, making his surname part of modern scientific language.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Russian
Russian
Самарский (Samarsky)
“An adjectival surname meaning “of Samara” or “from the Samara region.””
19th Century
Russian
Василий Самарский-Быховец
“Vasily Samarsky-Bykhovets, a Russian mining official associated with the mineral’s naming history.”
1839
Mineralogy
samarskite
“A newly recognized mineral named in honor of Samarsky-Bykhovets.”
1878
French
samarium
“The chemical element named after samarskite; its name ultimately preserves the surname Samarsky.”
Modern English
English
Samarsky
“A proper surname, chiefly encountered in historical, mineralogical, and scientific contexts.”
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