Talk:saxonite

saponite

Is it possible that the definition we give actually refers to saponite, and that Webster made a mistake? —Soap— 22:48, 9 February 2023 (UTC)

 Done Yes, fixed now. Equinox ◑ 02:01, 10 February 2023 (UTC)

RFV discussion: February–March 2023

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saxonite

mountain soap

I suspect this is a mistake by Webster's for saponite, as every source other than Webster's defines it as a completely different type of rock. There is no entry for saxonite in the open-access Merriam Webster dictionary today, but I dont have access to the Unabridged version. Nevertheless, I am fairly sure of this and my first instinct was to just change the definition to follow sites like this, but Ive been wrong about things I thought obvious before. —Soap— 23:37, 9 February 2023 (UTC)

I would also like to add mountain soap to this RFV, as it's currently listed as a synonym of saxonite and so what affects one affects the other. Both entries are cited to Webster 1913. —Soap— 00:06, 10 February 2023 (UTC)

Regarding "mountain soap", I found this mention in Beeton's Science, Art, and Literature (1870; page 309), under Armenian bole: "BOLE, ARMENIAN, bole (Swed. bol), a dark-red hydrated silicate of alumina, mixed with peroxide of iron in large quantities. It also contains traces of lime and magnesia. It is occasionally used for coarse paint and for stage purposes. When the amount of magnesia is such to cause it to feel greasy, it is termed mountain soap, or fett-bol." Equinox ◑ 01:58, 10 February 2023 (UTC)

I have confirmed from other sources that it is saponite, not saxonite; I will update the entry. Equinox ◑ 01:59, 10 February 2023 (UTC)

I added three quotes, which fit the definition "soft earthy mineral", although I don't know whether they are (or can be determined to mean) saponite specifically. They're all from before 1860; is this term still in use? Chaff in the form of things like "mountain soap stone" (meaning soapstone from the mountains, not this) or even "mountain soap" (soap made in the mountains, perhaps old-style) makes searching difficult. - -sche (discuss) 02:13, 8 March 2023 (UTC)

Resolved? AFAICT the original issue (Webster wrongly defining mountain soap = saxonite, when saponite was meant) has been resolved, and I added cites a while ago. - -sche (discuss) 09:42, 23 March 2023 (UTC)

Thanks. I wasnt able to find anything else either. I suppose it's possible that geology and mineral science wasnt so well developed a hundred years ago and that the only definitions that exist are the imprecise ones we've already found. —Soap— 10:48, 23 March 2023 (UTC)