English
lignite
Lignite comes from Latin lignum ‘firewood’, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-no-m ‘that which is collected’, and ultimately from *leǵ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to collect’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-no-m‘that which is collected’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*legnomreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElignum‘firewood’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentlignite
- Englishearliest quotation 1978lignite
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to collect’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-no-m‘that which is collected’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*legnomreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElignum‘firewood’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentlignite
- Englishearliest quotation 1978lignite
Earliest quotation: 1978, Texas Turning to Its Reserves of Lignite: “Texas industry is turning to lignite, a kind of…”
Formed from lignum ‘firewood’ + -ite
Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect’
Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-no-m ‘that which is collected’
Proto-Italic *legnom
Latin lignum ‘wood’
English lignum
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect’
election, collection, technology, lesson, select, collect, logic, apology, elect, elegant, eligible, catalogue, legion, trilogy, sociology, coil, analogy, elite, physiology, pathology, terminology, logos, astrology, negligence, monologue, leach, prologue, pathologist, epilogue, archaeologist, logistic, lexicon, negligible, eulogy, negligent, cosmology, lexical, cull, etymology, diligent, 175 more
Today it means
noun A low-grade, brownish-black coal.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / lignite