Mineral/rock

Derived from or for

Palygorskite

locality at "in der Paligorischen Distanz" of the second mine on the Popovka River, Urals, former USSR, where it was observed

Pandermite

locality at Panderma, the old name for Bandirma, a port in Turkey

Parisite

J.J. Paris, proprietor of the mine at Muzo, north of Bogata, Colombia, where the mineral was discovered

Peat

Anglo-Latin peta = piece of turf 

Pentlandite

Joseph Barclay Pentland (1797-1873), Irish natural scientist and traveler

Periclase

Greek peri = around and klasis = fracture due to its perfect cubic cleavage

Peridot

French péridot of unknown origin

Perlite

French perle = pearl due to its pearly luster and form when hammered

Perovskite

Petalite

Greek petalon = leaf and lithos = stone alluding to its leaflike cleavage

Phenak(c)ite

Greek phenax = to cheat since it was often mistaken for quartz

Phengite

Greek and Latin phengites = shine in reference to its luster

Phillipsite (zeolite)

William Phillips (1775-1829), British mineralogist, founder of the Geological Society of London

Phlogopite

Greek phlogistos = to burn or inflame alluding to its reddish tinge

Phonolite

Greek phone = sound and lithos = stone in reference to its ring when struck with a hammer

Phosphate

Greek for phos = light and phoros = bearer due to its spontaneous combustion; frpm the Latin meaning morning star

Pinnoite

Mt. Pinno, Chief Councellor of Mines, of Halle, Germany

Pirssonite

Louis Valentine Pirsson (1860-1919), American mineralogist at Yale 

Plagioclase

Greek plagios = oblique and klasis = fracture in reference to the oblique angles between its best cleavages

Plumbago

Latin plumbum = lead since graphite was misidentified as galena

Pinite 

Polianite

N.A.

Pollucite

Pollux, the twin brother of Castor in Classical mythology, in reference to its association with the mineral castor (old name for petalite)

Polyhalite

Greek polys = much or many and hals = salt due to the component salts

Portland cement

resembles a building stone on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England 

Portlandite

from Portland cement, locality at the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England, with which the synthetic compound was known to be associated

Potash

from pot and ash, originally prepared by evaporating the lixivium of wood ashes in iron pots (see soda ash)

Pozzalana

locality at Pozzuoli near Mount Vesuvius where a tuff was extracted by the Romans

Praeseodymium

Greek prasios = green and didymos = twin

Priceite

Thomas Price (b. 1837?), Welsh-American mineralogist. A.k.a Pandemite.

Probertite

Frank Holman Probert (1876-1940), Dean of the Mining College, U of Cal. A.k.a. kramerite.

Promethium

Prometheus, a Titan in Greek mythology, who made a man of clay from fire stolen from heaven

Psilomene

Greek psilos = naked, bare and melas = black alluding to its appearance

Pumice

Latin pumex = pumice or porous stone from spuma = foam

Pyrrhotite

Greek for redness aluding to the liveliness of its color

Pyrite

Greek pyrites = flint or millstone from pyros = a fire since it gives off sparks when struck

Pyrochlore

Greek pyros = a fire and chloros = green since it turns green on ignition

Pyrolusite

Greek pyros = a fire and lusite = to wash due to its use to decolorize glass

Pyrope (garnet)

Greek pyr = fire and ops = eye alluding to its fire-red color

Pyrophyllite

Greek for pyro = a fire, phyllo = a leaf, and lithos = stone referring to the effect of heat separating the laminae in foliated varieties