i have started to read Oliver Sacks book Uncle Tungsten , and it it wonderful, and it seems like the book will provide me with any number of new words..use link to read the first chapter for your self.
[url]www.oliversacks.com/utexcerpt.html[/url[

Vug is one word he uses-- one that came into English from the cornish, vooga, coming originally from the latin fovea (i think)a small pit..

He uses the word when refering to old (roman age mines) in england, and the ore the romans collected, cassiterite, a tin ore and mentioned a old roman name for the UK as being Cassiter Isles, (very un-sure of was it Cassiter or ... Cassit.? Casset..? since i don't have the book in front of me)

I remember once hearing the the old roman name for the UK was 'the tin islands" and the prime reason they came to UK was for tin, after the tin mines in southern europe were played out. As the ability to mine and smelt iron developed, tin (to use with copper to make bronze) became less important.

Was is interesting, is cassiterite is from the greek word for tin.

But Tin on the period table is (b)Sn, comming from the latin ??--(i don't know tin on its own, only as "Stannous Floride", a salt of tin, but i am guessing it is 'Stannous')

Does any one know when the romans started use their own word for tin or why?


my other obsession