coal
Meaning
A hard black or dark brown substance that is dug from the earth and burned as fuel.
To provide with coal.
Usage
The power station burns vast quantities of coal.
In the 19th century, many industries relied on coal.
The ship stopped at the port to coal up before its long voyage.
Etymology
The word 'coal' originates from the Old English term 'col', which meant 'charcoal, live coal'. This term is derived from the Proto-Germanic 'kulą', a word of uncertain deeper origin, though it may be related to the concept of something burned or glowing. The semantic journey is remarkably direct, with the core meaning shifting from the general 'charcoal' in Old English to more specifically denote the mineral fuel by the Middle English period. Its logic lies in its fundamental association with a combustible, carbon-rich material used for fire, a meaning that has remained stable for centuries.
Analysis
The word 'coal' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It functions as a complete lexical unit.