| 释义 |
-lite
(= F. -lite, G. -lith, -lit), a frequent ending in names of minerals (also in names of certain fossils, as coprolite, and of certain types of mineral structure, as axiolite and of some rocks, as ijolite, phonolite), represents the Gr. λίθος stone; the words in which it occurs are mostly intended to correspond to assumable Gr. formations, so that in actual use the ending is almost always -olite, with the thematic or combining o usual in Gr. compounds; there are a few exceptions, as auerlite, chesterlite. The form -lite, which was used in some original English formations (actynolite, etc.) by Kirwan in 1794, is due to the example of the French geologists, who used -lite instead of the older -lithe, the two spellings representing one and the same pronunciation in Fr. The adoption of the abnormal form was prob. helped by the analogy of chrysolite, where the t instead of th is due to the fact that the Gr. word came at an early period into Eng. by way of med.L. and OF. |