Tantalite
/ˈtæn.təl.aɪt/noun
A group of dark, heavy tantalum-bearing minerals, typically found with niobite and used as an ore of tantalum.
Did you know?Tantalite was named in 1801 for Tantalus because chemists found it nearly impossible to dissolve or “feed” it with the acids they used, a fittingly cursed name for a stubborn ore.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Τάνταλος (Tántalos)
“Tantalus, the mythic figure punished with endless hunger and thirst”
1801
English
tantalite
“A newly recognized mineral, named for its resistance to chemical attack”
1802
Latin
tantalum
“The chemical element named after the mineral”
19th Century
English
tantalite
“Established as the standard name for tantalum-rich oxide minerals”
Modern English
English
tantalite
“A mineral ore of tantalum”