zinc (English)
Where does "zinc" come from?
The English word 'zinc' was borrowed from the German 'Zink'[1]. This German term is closely related to 'Zinke', meaning 'point' or 'prong'[1][2][6]. These forms trace back to the Old High German 'zinko' and the Proto-Germanic '*tindaz', both of which referred to a 'prong' or 'pinnacle'[1][6]. Ultimately, these Germanic roots derive from the Proto-Indo-European '*h₃dónts', which meant 'tooth' or 'projection'[1]. The word is thus a distant relative of terms describing jagged edges or spikes, such as the Old English 'tind', the Old High German 'zint', and the Icelandic 'tindur', all of which share the original sense of a tooth or pointed projection[1][2][4].
Open questions
- The exact relationship between the modern German 'Zink' and the older 'Zinke' is considered probable rather than certain. [2] [6]
- The Proto-Indo-European root for tooth is reconstructed with various initial laryngeals and remains a subject of linguistic discussion. [3]
Full etymology tree
- zinc (English), 'A chemical element (symbol Zn) with an atomic number of 30, a blue-silvery metal that is slightly brittle at room temperature and tarnishes slightly in moist air.'
- borrowed Zink (German), 'zinc'
- inherited zinke (Middle High German)
- inherited zinko (Old High German)
- inherited *tindaz (Proto-Germanic), 'tooth; cog; peg; tine'
- inherited *h₃dénts (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *h₃ed- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to smell, stink'
- affix *-ónts (Proto-Indo-European), 'Derives nouns denoting body parts.'
- inherited *h₃dénts (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *tindaz (Proto-Germanic), 'tooth; cog; peg; tine'
- inherited zinko (Old High German)
- inherited zinke (Middle High German)
- borrowed Zink (German), 'zinc'
Ancestors
- Zink (German)
- *tindaz (Proto-Germanic)
- *h₃dónts (Proto-Indo-European)
Cognates and doublets
- tinde (Danish)
- tinne (Dutch)
- zincum (English)
- Zinne (German)
- tindur (Icelandic)
- tind (Old English)
- tinne (Swedish)
Descendants and derived words
- butter of zinc (English)
- cadmium zinc telluride (English)
- flowers of zinc (English)
- zinc acexamate (English)
- zincate (English)
- zinc bloom (English)
- zinc carbonate (English)
- zinc-carbon battery (English)
- zinc chloride (English)
- zinced (English)
- zinc finger (English)
- zinc green (English)
Sources
- zinc (English) - Wiktionary
- Zink (German) - Wiktionary
- h₃dónts (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
- tindaz (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
- h₃ed- (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
- Zinke (German) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris