Xenolith
/ˈzɛnəlɪθ/noun
A rock fragment enclosed within a different rock, especially a fragment carried upward by molten magma.
Did you know?Its Greek root xenos meant both “stranger” and “guest,” linking xenolith conceptually to the ancient idea of an outsider being received into a host.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰostis
“A stranger, guest, or outsider bound by reciprocal obligations”
Ancient Greek
Greek
xenos
“A stranger, foreigner, guest, or host in a relationship of hospitality”
Ancient Greek
Greek
lithos
“Stone”
19th Century
Scientific Greek
xenolithos
“A stranger stone; a stone foreign to the rock surrounding it”
19th Century
German
Xenolith
“A geological fragment enclosed in a different rock”
Modern English
English
xenolith
“A rock fragment enclosed within another rock, commonly transported by magma”
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