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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Source of the word petroleum #188163 12/08/2009 8:04 PM Joined: Dec 2009 Posts: 4 gidi stranger gidi stranger Joined: Dec 2009 Posts: 4 Isn't petrus a rock (viz. St. Peter) and oleum simply oil, so petroleum is just that - oil from the rocks. How did Wordsmith get to "Per"? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Source of the word petroleum gidi #188164 12/08/2009 8:25 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass pardon the digression, but "How did Wordsmith get to "Per"?" where? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Source of the word petroleum tsuwm #188174 12/09/2009 1:56 AM Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand olly old hand olly old hand Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand Originally Posted By: tsuwm pardon the digression, but "How did Wordsmith get to "Per"?" where? You know, Periphrasticly. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,916 Posts230,396 Members9,211 Most Online12,483 Mar 28th, 2026 Newest Members Boo boo kitty fu, peterreineck, Peripatetic Toad, JerryC, blvd 9,211 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 28 A C Bowden 16 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,217 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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