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an·tho·phyl·lite

(ăn′thə-fīlīt′, ăn′thŏfə-līt)

A grayish, brownish, or greenish amphibole mineral, (Mg,Fe)₇Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂, having a fibrous form that is a variety of asbestos.

[German Anthophyllit : New Latin anthophyllus, mother of cloves (the fruit of the clove tree, formerly much used as an aromatic or candied), clove tree (from Greek anthos, flower + phullon, leaf; see bhel-³ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + German -it, -ite (the mineral being so named in 1801 by Danish naturalist Heinrich Christian Friedrich Schumacher (1757-1830) in reference to the clove-brown color of his specimen).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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