Sylvanite
/ˈsɪlvənaɪt/noun
A rare gold-silver telluride mineral.
Did you know?Sylvanite was named from Latin silva, meaning "forest" or "woods," because the mineral was associated with the Transylvanian region where it was first described.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*seh₁l-
“A root associated with woods or forest growth.”
Latin
Latin
silva
“A wood, forest, or wooded area.”
Late Latin
Latin
silvānus
“Of the woods; belonging to the forest.”
19th Century
English
sylvanite
“A mineral name formed from sylvan- plus the mineral suffix -ite.”
Modern English
English
sylvanite
“A rare mineral of gold and silver tellurium.”
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