feldspar
UK[ˈfɛld.spɑː]US[ˈfɛlˌspɑːr]
n
A common, hard, crystalline mineral consisting of aluminum silicates with potassium, sodium, or calcium, and making up a large part of many rocks.
Morpheme Breakdown
feld
spar
feld
field
spar
mineral
Etymology
The word 'feldspar' is a direct loan from German Feldspat, which itself is a compound of Feld ("field") and Spat ("a flaky, non-metallic mineral"). The term was adopted into English in the mid-18th century by geologists. The "field" component likely refers to the mineral's common occurrence in rocks found in open fields, as opposed to being mined from distinct metallic veins. "Spar" is an old mining term for any bright, crystalline, non-metallic mineral that cleaves easily. Thus, the name logically describes a common, crystalline mineral abundantly found in field rocks.
Analysis
Structure: feld (field) + spar (mineral)
- feld: Origin: German (from Old High German feld). Role: Root meaning "field".
- spar: Origin: Old English spær- (as in spærstan, meaning "gypsum"). Role: Root referring to a non-metallic, crystalline mineral.
Examples
Granite is primarily composed of quartz and feldspar.
The pink hue in the rock comes from a type of feldspar called orthoclase.
Feldspar is a key ingredient in the manufacture of glass and ceramics.