From Proto-Germanic *flintaz, possibly meaning 'splitter'—named for its sharp fracture, the basis of humanity's oldest technology.
A hard grey sedimentary form of quartz that fractures to produce sharp edges, historically vital for toolmaking and fire-starting.
From Old English 'flint,' from Proto-Germanic *flintaz, possibly related to a PIE root *splind- meaning 'to split' or to Old Norse 'fletta' (to split). The stone was named for how it fractures—conchoidal fractures producing razor-sharp edges. Key roots: *flintaz (Proto-Germanic: "flint, splitter").