English

Messinian

From Messina (“Sicilian city near to where evaporite rocks of this period outcrop”) + -ian; coined by Swiss stratigrapher Karl Mayer-Eymar in 1867.

Formed from Messina ‘Sicilian city near to where evaporite rocks of…’ + -ian

Ancient Greek Μεσσήνη ‘Messene’

Latin Messāna

Italian Messina

The story

From Messina (‘Sicilian city near to where evaporite rocks of this period outcrop’) + -ian; coined by Swiss stratigrapher Karl Mayer-Eymar in 1867.

name The final subdivision of the Miocene epoch.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Messinian