A soft, silky variety of asbestos; the original Greek-derived term for the mineral amiant.
From Greek 'amianthus' meaning 'unsoiled' or 'incorruptible' (a- not + miainein to defile). This is the etymological source for all related English terms. The word entered Latin and then medieval English.
The Greek word literally means 'can't be dirtied,' and ancients were genuinely mystified by this magical mineral that wouldn't burn or stain—early texts describe it almost like a supernatural material, showing how unfamiliar substances sparked ancient imagination.
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