magnet (English)

Where does "magnet" come from?

English inherited 'magnet' from Middle English 'magnete'[1], which entered the language through Old French 'magnete' or directly from Latin 'magnēs' (accusative 'magnētem'), meaning 'lodestone'[1][2]. The Latin term stems from the Ancient Greek phrase 'magnêtis líthos', which literally meant 'Magnesian stone'[1][2]. This name originated either from the Lydian city of Magnesia ad Sipylum, a renowned ancient source of these naturally magnetic rocks, or from the Greek region of Magnesia[1][3].

Open questions

• Sources disagree on whether the stone was directly named after the Lydian city Magnesia ad Sipylum or after the Greek region of Magnesia. [1] [3]
• Middle English may have borrowed the word from Old French or directly from Latin. [1] [2]
• The deeper origin of the Ancient Greek regional name is considered Pre-Greek. [4]

Full etymology tree

• magnet (English), 'A piece of material that attracts some metals by magnetism.'
  • inherited magnete (Middle English), 'lodestone (a magnetic stone that is an ore of iron)'
    • borrowed magnete (Old French)
      • borrowed magnes (Latin), 'magnet, lodestone'
        • borrowed μαγνῆτις λίθος (magnêtis líthos) (Ancient Greek)
          • derived Magnes (Latin), 'Magnesian; of Magnesia'
            • borrowed Μάγνης (Mágnēs) (Ancient Greek), 'one of the Magnetes'
              • derived (Pre-Greek)
        • borrowed μαγνήτης λίθος (magnḗtēs líthos) (Ancient Greek)
          • derived Magnes (Latin), 'Magnesian; of Magnesia'
            • borrowed Μάγνης (Mágnēs) (Ancient Greek), 'one of the Magnetes'
              • derived (Pre-Greek)

Ancestors

• magnete (Middle English)
• magnes (Latin)

Descendants and derived words

• magnet (Cebuano)
• antiferromagnet (English)
• babe magnet (English)
• bar magnet (English)
• bitch magnet (English)
• chick magnet (English)
• corrector magnet (English)
• cow magnet (English)
• diamagnet (English)
• electret (English)
• electro-magnet (English)
• electromagnet (English)

Sources

1. magnet (English) - Wiktionary
2. magnete (Middle English) - Wiktionary
3. magnes (Latin) - Wiktionary
4. Μάγνης (Mágnēs) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
5. λίθος (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
6. Μαγνησία (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
7. Magnes (Latin) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris