English
pyroxene
Pyroxene comes from French pyroxène, from Ancient Greek ξένος ‘stranger’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰes- ‘to eat’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰes-1‘to eat’uncertain
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰóstis2‘guest’uncertain
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ksénwos2‘a guest, a visitor’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEξένος3xénos‘stranger’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentpyroxène3
- Englishearliest quotation 2004pyroxene3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ξένος, which cites Beekes
- 3 Wiktionary, English pyroxene
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth: “By the pathside, there are occasional large boulders that…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰes-Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis‘to eat’uncertain
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰóstisWiktionary, Ancient Greek ξένος, which cites Beekes‘guest’uncertain
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ksénwosWiktionary, Ancient Greek ξένος, which cites Beekes‘a guest, a visitor’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEξένοςWiktionary, English pyroxenexénos‘stranger’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentpyroxèneWiktionary, English pyroxene
- Englishearliest quotation 2004pyroxeneWiktionary, English pyroxene. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth: “By the pathside, there are occasional large boulders that…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰes- ‘to eat’
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis ‘guest’
through Ancient Greek ξένος ‘stranger’
Today it means
noun Any of a group of crystalline minerals containing silicates of iron, magnesium and calcium.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “pyroxene”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis, Ancient Greek ξένος. 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 *gʰes- / pyroxene