Archaean en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ɑɹˈkiːən/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ɑːˈkiːən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos, “ancient”) (likely via Latin archaeus) + -an.
Meanings
- (not-comparable) Of or relating to Arche, the Muse of beginnings in Greek mythology.
-
(not-comparable) Of, or relating to the geologic eon from about 4,031 to 2,500 million years ago; comprises the Eoarchean, Paleoarchean, Mesoarchean and Neoarchean eras; marked by an atmosphere with little oxygen, the formation of the first continents and oceans and the emergence of simple life.
The oldest vestiges of continental crust, which date from the Archaean aeon about 4 billion years ago, are in Acasta in north-west Canada.
2006 March 25, NewScientist, page 12/1:
- (not-comparable, qualifier:"Archean" only) Of or relating to the irregular Jovian moon named for Arche.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archean | alternative | lexicographic | |
| Archæan | alternative, archaic | lexicographic |
Translations (15)
fi arkeeinen (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · sv arkeisk (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · da arkeisk (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · es arcaico (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · fr archéen (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · ga Aircéach (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · kk архей (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · cmn 太古代的 (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · ru архе́йский (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · nn arkeisk (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · el αρχαιοζωικός (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · pt arqueano (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · it archeano (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · nb arkeisk (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago) · ca arqueà (of eon from 3,800 to 2,500 million years ago)