graphite

Where does the word "graphite" come from? It comes from Greek graphein, passing through German before entering English (1790s).

Graphite’s story begins in Greek: graphein meant “to write.” To write. By 1789, the word had taken hold in German as Graphit. The mineralogist Abraham Gottlob Werner named it for its use in writing. It reached English by 1790s as graphite. England's Borrowdale mine supplied the graphite for early pencils. Today, graphite means a soft black form of carbon used in pencils.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient graphein "to write", to write.
2. Stage 2 · German · 1789 Graphit "graphite", the mineralogist Abraham Gottlob Werner named it for its use in writing.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1790s graphite "graphite", England's Borrowdale mine supplied the graphite for early pencils.