erikite

noun

er·​ik·​ite

ˈerə̇ˌkīt

plural -s

: a mineral consisting of a silicate and phosphate of the cerium metals that is of uncertain composition and occurs in brown orthorhombic crystals

Word History

Etymology

German or Danish erikit, from Erik (Eric) the Red, 10th century Norwegian-Icelandic explorer who organized the first white settlements of Greenland, the mineral's locality + German or Danish -it -ite

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