Coal Once Meant Charcoal, Not the Mineral
Coal is a black rock burned for fuel. The Old English word meant charcoal, and the mineral had to be distinguished.
Coal is a black combustible rock formed from ancient plant matter. Old English *col* meant charcoal, and when the mineral came into use it had to be distinguished as *sea-coal*, because it washed up on the north-east English coast. Only later did *coal* mean the rock by default and *charcoal* take a compound of its own. *Carrying coals to Newcastle* means doing something pointless, Newcastle having been England's great coal port.
- A combustible rock. *Burning coal.*
- Charcoal (archaic). *Col.*
- Coals to Newcastle — pointless effort. *Coals to Newcastle.*
- Coalface — where the work happens. *At the coalface.*
- Old English — *col*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | coal | Coal. |
| Plural | coals | Coals. |
| Compound | charcoal | Charcoal. |
| Compound | coalface | The coalface. |
| Old English | col | Charcoal. |
- They shovelled coal into the furnace.Fuel.
- It was once called sea-coal.History.
- That is coals to Newcastle.Idiom.
Coal idioms
- Coals to Newcastle — supplying what is already abundant
- At the coalface — doing the actual work, not managing it
- Haul over the coals — reprimand severely
- Rake over old coals — revive an old grievance
- A coal in the stocking — the traditional gift for bad behaviour
Old English *col*, charcoal or a glowing ember, of Germanic origin.
Why was coal once called sea-coal?
Because it washed up along the north-east English coast, and the plain word coal already meant charcoal.
What does coals to Newcastle mean?
A pointless act. Newcastle was England's great coal port, so bringing coal there was absurd.