Etymograph

English

pyrite

Pyrite comes from Ancient Greek πῠρῑ́της ‘copper pyrites’, from πῦρ ‘fire’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*péh₂wr̥1‘fire’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pāwər1reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπῦρ1pûr‘fire’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπῠρῑ́της1pŭrī́tēs‘copper pyrites’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpȳritēs1
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400pyrite1
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1973pyrite1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English pyrite
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1973, Chiao-min Hsieh, Mining and Manufacturing: “The pyrite output in 1961 was 1.2 million tons,…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*péh₂wr̥Wiktionary, English pyrite‘fire’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pāwərWiktionary, English pyritereconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπῦρWiktionary, English pyritepûr‘fire’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπῠρῑ́τηςWiktionary, English pyritepŭrī́tēs‘copper pyrites’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpȳritēsWiktionary, English pyrite
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400pyriteWiktionary, English pyrite
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1973pyriteWiktionary, English pyrite. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1973, Chiao-min Hsieh, Mining and Manufacturing: “The pyrite output in 1961 was 1.2 million tons,…”

The story

Recorded since 1555, from Old French pyrite (12th century), from Latin pȳritēs, from Ancient Greek πυρίτης λίθος (purítēs líthos, “stone of fire, flint”) (so called because it glitters), notably the first part: adjective πυρίτης (purítēs, “of or in fire”), from πῦρ (pûr, “fire”).

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ ‘fire’

fire, fiery, poppy, 15 more

through Proto-Hellenic *pāwər

pyroclastic, 12 more

through Ancient Greek πῦρ ‘fire’

bureau, bertram, burrito, burro, pyre, pyro, 13 more

Today it means

noun The common mineral iron disulfide (FeS₂), of a pale brass-yellow color and brilliant metallic luster, crystallizing in the isometric system.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “pyrite”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ / pyrite

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