From Latin 'mica' (crumb), named for how the mineral crumbles into glittering flakes.
A group of silicate minerals that split into thin, flexible, transparent sheets, with a characteristic glittering appearance.
From Latin 'mica' meaning 'crumb, grain, morsel.' Adopted by mineralogists because the mineral crumbles into tiny glittering flakes. Some scholars connect it to 'micare' (to glitter, to flash), which better fits the mineral's shimmering quality. Key roots: mica / micare (Latin: "crumb / to glitter").