mine

{{11}}mine (n.¹) "pit or tunnel in the earth for obtaining metals and minerals," c.1300, from O.Fr. mine "vein, lode; tunnel, shaft; mineral ore; mine" (for coal, tin, etc,), of uncertain origin, probably from a Celtic source (Cf. Welsh mwyn, Ir. mein "ore, mine"), from O.Celt. *meini-. Italy and Greece were relatively poor in minerals, thus they did not contribute a word for this to English, but there was extensive mining from an early date in Celtic lands (Cornwall, etc.). From c.1400 as "a tunnel under fortifications to overthrow them."

{{12}}mine (n.²) explosive device, by 1850, from MINE (Cf. mine) (v.²).

{{12}}mine (pron.) O.E. min "mine, my," (pronoun and adjective), from P.Gmc. *minaz (Cf. O.Fris., O.S. O.H.G. min, M.Du., Du. mijn, Ger. mein, O.N. minn, Goth. meins "my, mine"), from the base of ME (Cf. me). Superseded as adjective beginning 13c. by MY (Cf. my).

{{13}}mine (v.¹) to dig, c.1300, "to tunnel under fortifications to overthrow them," from MINE (Cf. mine) (n.¹) or from O.Fr. miner "to dig, mine; exterminate." From mid-14c. as "to dig in the earth" (for treasure, etc.). Figurative use from mid-14c. Related: Mined; MINING (Cf. mining).

{{14}}mine (v.²) "lay explosives," 1620s, in reference to old tactic of tunneling under enemy fortifications to blow them up; a specialized sense of MINE (Cf. mine) (v.¹) via a sense of "dig under foundations to undermine them" (late 14c.), and miner in this sense is attested from late 13c. Related: Mined; mining.