Miner and Minor Sound Alike and Mean Nothing Alike
A miner digs for minerals. It is a homophone of minor, meaning lesser or under age, and the two are unrelated.
A miner is a person who works underground extracting coal, ore or minerals. It is a homophone of *minor*, and the two have no connection: *miner* comes from *mine*, the excavation, while *minor* is Latin for lesser. That the two words meet in the phrase *a minor working as a miner* is coincidence. A *canary in a coal mine* refers to a real practice: canaries were carried underground until 1986 in Britain because they collapse from carbon monoxide before humans notice it.
- One who works a mine. *A coal miner.*
- Minor — the homophone. *A minor detail.*
- Mine — the excavation. *A tin mine.*
- Colliery — a coal mine. *A colliery.*
- Canary in a coal mine — an early warning. *A canary in the coal mine.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | miner | A miner. |
| Plural | miners | The miners. |
| Verb | mine | Mine for coal. |
| Noun | mining | Coal mining. |
| Homophone | minor | A minor. |
- The miners worked a mile underground.Work.
- Canaries were used until 1986.History.
- Miner and minor are unrelated.Spelling.
The canary in the coal mine
- Canaries show distress from carbon monoxide long before humans
- Introduced in 1911 by the physiologist John Scott Haldane
- Cages had oxygen bottles so the bird could be revived
- Phased out in Britain in 1986 in favour of electronic detectors
- The phrase now means any early warning sign
From *mine*, Old French *mine*, an excavation, possibly of Celtic origin. *Minor* is separately from Latin *minor*, lesser.
Were canaries really used in coal mines?
Yes, from 1911 until 1986 in Britain. They react to carbon monoxide long before humans notice it.
Are miner and minor related?
No. Miner comes from mine, an excavation. Minor is Latin for lesser. They are unrelated homophones.