English
leucophanite
Originally named Leukophan (1840) by the Norwegian mineralogist Jens Esmark, in allusion to its whitish color, from leuco- (white) + -phane (“appearing”).
Formed from leuco- + -phane ‘appearing’
Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘bright’
Proto-Indo-European *lewkós ‘bright’
Proto-Hellenic *leukós ‘white’
Ancient Greek λευκός ‘white’
English leuco-
The story
Originally named Leukophan (1840) by the Norwegian mineralogist Jens Esmark, in allusion to its whitish color, from leuco- (white) + -phane (‘appearing’). The suffix -ite, added later, is used to form nouns denoting minerals.
Today it means
noun A sorosilicate mineral that occurs in pegmatites and alkali igneous complexes as yellow, greenish or white triclinic crystals.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / leucophanite