Talk:ammochryse

RFV discussion: December 2021–January 2022
A reclusive word that only inhabits dictionaries and code books. I can't find a single use. Supposedly in Germany it was "pulverised and used to strew over fresh writing to prevent blotting", an oddly specific fact that could help an intrepid searcher to find the name that is actually used to refer to this stone. This, that and the other (talk) 07:59, 14 December 2021 (UTC)


 * As to the identity of the stone: searching for ammochrysus finds a couple Latin dictionaries which define it as "precious stone (golden mica?)" and "(gold sand), a precious stone unknown to us, perh. golden mica, Plin." Checking also for inflected forms, this seems to meet CFI as Latin (spelling variations — some only mentioned in dictionaries, not necessarily attested — include -m- instead of -mm-, ha- instead of a-, and -i- instead of -y-). L'hammochryse might meet CFI as French. I didn't spot any uses in English, though. (Century has "hammochrysus" as "only in Pliny and later Latin writers [...] In Pliny and later writers, a name probably designating a yellow mica schist or the sand yielded by it.") - -sche (discuss) 21:51, 14 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Good idea. I created Latin as a starting point. Note that Latin is an LDL so one use should be sufficient to meet CFI. This, that and the other (talk) 22:42, 14 December 2021 (UTC)
 * The etymon is which translates literally to "sandgold". See LSJ at Perseus. Chuck Entz (talk) 05:28, 15 December 2021 (UTC)
 * It is marcasite, which was used as pounce around 1800 per e.g. the relation on Citations:margajita, but falsified  fact in its translation box. Fay Freak (talk) 22:38, 14 December 2021 (UTC)
 * I never knew that such a thing as pounce existed, let alone that that was the word for it. The things you learn around here!
 * You sound very sure that it is marcasite, but surely it is possible that they were using a different substance in Spain compared to Germany. This, that and the other (talk) 08:31, 15 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Yes, it was just exemplary and a bit bait. People in practice had not been decided about chemistry or mineralogy back in the day either, and when one understood these topics the techniques and materials have been superseded and replaced by others, so I have not tried to check, which would likely end up to confuse and an unresolved collation of synonyms. The real question is by which criteria one chose the materials of a pounce. Nowadays at least for the Angloweb you find well-visited blogs and vlogs of people obsessed about the details of pens and inks, supplemented by treatises about pounces and what not, if you are seeking a rabbithole. (Maybe one can add words from there …) Fay Freak (talk) 05:25, 16 December 2021 (UTC)
 * We have, btw, an entry which is just barely attested. - -sche (discuss) 04:10, 15 December 2021 (UTC)
 * I moved the related terms to hammochrysos, since it looks like this spelling ammochryse will fail. - -sche (discuss) 20:16, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

RFV-failed Kiwima (talk) 21:54, 14 January 2022 (UTC)