Bastnasite

/bæstˈneɪsaɪt/ noun

Definition

Alternative spelling of bastnaesite; a rare-earth fluorocarbonate mineral containing cerium and lanthanides.

Etymology

Variant spelling of bastnaesite, using the more anglicized spelling without the diacritic mark (ä becomes a). Both spellings refer to the same mineral discovered near Bastnäs, Sweden.

Kelly Says

The spelling variation between bastnaesite and bastnasite reflects how mineral names get anglicized—removing diacritics made it easier to type and print in English scientific literature, even though the Swedish origin is lost.

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