stann

Stann is a linguistic and historical stem derived from the Latin stannum, meaning tin. It is not an element or mineral on its own. In modern English, tin is the name of the metal, with the chemical symbol Sn, while stann appears as a technical root in tin-related terminology.

In chemistry, the form stann- appears as a prefix or root to indicate tin in various contexts. For example, stannous denotes tin in the +2 oxidation state, and stannic denotes tin in the +4 state. The terms stannide, stannate, and stannane are used for tin-containing compounds or derivatives, including organotin compounds and tin hydrides.

In mineralogy and geology, stann- is found in the names of tin-bearing minerals. Cassiterite, SnO2, is the principal ore of tin. Other tin-rich minerals include stannite, a copper-iron-tin sulfide, as well as related tin sulfide and oxide phases. These minerals account for the extraction and refinement of tin worldwide.

Modern usage emphasizes tin as the element, with stann- serving mainly as a historical or technical root in compound naming and in discussions of oxidation states and tin chemistry. The root derives from the Latin stannum, and contemporary formal nomenclature generally uses tin itself for the element, reserving stann- for descriptive terms in specialized contexts.

See also tin, cassiterite, stannous, and stannic.