Tantalusite
/ˈtæn.tə.lə.saɪt/noun
A rare mineral, typically a tantalum-bearing silicate or oxide, named for its association with tantalum.
Did you know?Tantalusite takes its name from tantalum, which was itself named after Tantalus, the Greek figure eternally tormented by unreachable water and fruit—an etymology that made “tantalize” feel cursed from birth.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Τάνταλος (Tántalos)
“Tantalus, the mythic king punished with endless, unreachable desire”
1800
Latin/English scientific
tantalum
“A newly identified metallic element named from Tantalus because it seemed to 'defy' dissolution in acid”
19th Century
English
tantalite
“A tantalum-bearing mineral”
20th Century
English
tantalusite
“A mineral name formed in scientific usage for a tantalum-related mineral”
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