kaolin
/ˈkeɪ.ə.lɪn/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.38 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "The composition of the Eastern or proper China ware, according to accounts that have great marks of authenticity, is from two earths; one of which is, as was before mentioned, vitrescent, and is called Petunse; the other a refractory or apyrous earth; and called Kaolin."
- "Grind with strong arm, the circling chertz betwixt, / Your pure Ka-o-lins and Pe-tun-tses mixt […]."
Etymology
From French kaolin, François Xavier d'Entrecolles's irregular romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 高嶺土 /高岭土 (gāolǐngtǔ, “Gaoling earth”), from 高嶺 /高岭 (Gāolǐng, “High Ridge”), a village in Fuliang County, Jingdezhen Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, that became Jingdezhen's primary source of this kind of clay during the early to mid-Qing dynasty.
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
- Root: kaolin, -, 高嶺土