# Rock, stone **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 30, 2023, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017 "2023-01-30T03:52:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/21 "2023-01-30T06:31:42Z")
In my dialect I could pick up stones/rocks from (say) a dry stream bed and throw them, either word works. I think you can just view throwing stones / throwing rocks as an edge case. It’s putting pieces of rock to a human purpose, but hardly a sophisticated purpose, it doesn’t involve any shaping or working. So either word can work. There’s certainly semantic overlap between “a rock” and “a stone”. The interesting cases are where one seems strongly preferred. There’s seems to be a broad pattern but maybe to some extent it’s just idiomatic. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/22 "2023-01-30T09:27:03Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Most of the languages I’ve surveyed have two distinct words, but Finnish has only one word, _kivi_, to cover both meanings. I wonder if Finish being a different language family than the languages mentioned in the OP (which were either Indo-European or Afro-Asiactic) is a factor there? Do Hungarian or Estonian have one word just like Finnish? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/23 "2023-01-30T09:56:06Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Hebrew: sela‘ even After thinking about it a bit, I’m not sure the words are an exact parallel. While you would say that a cliff is made of _sela_ and that Great Pyramid is made of _even_, _sela_ also implies something big - generally, too big for a person to lift on their own. It doesn’t have to be as big as a boulder, although it can be, but it’s not something you can throw without a catapult. If you throw it, it’s an _even_. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/24 "2023-01-30T10:40:20Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > French: roche pierre Actually, you could add _rocher_ to that list. Now as to the difference between these three words, I’d say purely intuitively : - _Pierre_ = aggregate mineral matter disconnected from the Earth’s crust that a single person can lift and throw without too much effort. It’s also something you can build stuff with (_un pont de pierre_ = “a stone bridge”). - _Rocher_ = aggregate mineral matter disconnected from the Earth’s crust that a single person cannot lift and throw, although several persons could with some effort, depending on the weight/size. You do not build anything with that, linguistically at least. - _Roche_ = aggregate mineral matter still connected with the Earth’s crust. No matter how many persons try, it is not going anywhere. It is also something you find while digging (_une couche de roche_ = a layer of rock). ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/25 "2023-01-30T11:30:53Z")
I always think of stone as referring to something quite small, such as the stuff you might have in your garden/yard (could also call this gravel). Rock would refer to something a lot bigger, probably big enough to be too heavy to pick up. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/26 "2023-01-30T13:21:55Z")
Weird. For me the intuition is exactly the opposite: “rock” is little pieces. “Stone” is something big. (When used generically, not like in “gemstone” or “kidney stone.”) I also think of “stone” as more a material noun than “rock,” kind of like how “lumber” or “wood” is to “trees.” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/27 "2023-01-30T13:31:31Z")
Yeah, i like the “worked/unworked” split. I have rocks all over the place. But i just bought a piece of stone to use in my basement. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/28 "2023-01-30T13:38:42Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Yeah, i like the “worked/unworked” split. A rock breaker produces material for the stonemason. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/29 "2023-01-30T13:39:45Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Do Hungarian or Estonian have one word just like Finnish? Hmm. With my conversational level of Hungarian, I’m having trouble answering this question. Mostly, I would translate rock and stone to “kő.” However, if I had to choose two words, I would choose " kő" / stone and szikla / rock. But szikla is more like a rock outcropping from the earth and maybe would be better translated as “cliff.” Charlie Brown wouldn’t call the thing dropped in his treat bag a “szikla.” OK, I’m going to go with one word for both. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/30 "2023-01-30T13:43:27Z")
FWIW here’s the Swedish distinction: Sten - stone and rock Bergart - aggregate mineral matter, and _only_ that, i.e. shape, location and size aren’t factors. It’s the label for limestone, granite, feldspar ASF. Sten is obviously a cognate of stone, stein and it wouldn’t surprise me if they are from PIE. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/31 "2023-01-30T13:46:21Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > French: roche pierre > Greek: petra lithos …which makes it look like “pierre” is derived from “petra.” Or am I just seeing more of a similarity than there actually is because “Pierre” and “Petra/Peter” are both common, related names? ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/32 "2023-01-30T14:22:15Z")
It looks like _kivi_ and _kő_ are cognates, going back to Proto-Uralic \*_kiwe_. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/33 "2023-01-30T15:37:08Z")
Yeah, I think that there is the idea of one word for the material and one word for a piece of that material. You throw A stone, but it is made of rock. And then the words become interchangeable as dialects and accents use them as they see fit. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/34 "2023-01-30T15:45:43Z")
It’s really weird in that context, because I would almost always say “I threw a rock.” Like “I accidentally threw a rock through the window.” But then, “it’s a stone’s throw away.” But: “they pelted the car with rocks.” However, we skip stones. And “the statue is made of stone” (not “rock.”) It’s sort of arbitrary with me. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/35 "2023-01-30T16:02:12Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Perhaps the “rock garden” is an exception because of a desired resemblance to a natural (without human purpose) state? On the other hand, when designing and installing a rock garden, the material is referred to collectively as stone. On the other other hand, the type of stone may be called rock. “What kind of stone are we using for this project?” “One to two inch washed native river rock” ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/36 "2023-01-30T16:12:13Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s really weird in that context, because I would almost always say “I threw a rock.” Like “I accidentally threw a rock through the window.” But then, “it’s a stone’s throw away.” But: “they pelted the car with rocks.” However, we skip stones. And “the statue is made of stone” (not “rock.”) It’s sort of arbitrary with me. My sense is that “stone” (uncountable noun or adjective) is a material rock is made from (note limestone, sandstone), and most especially when the material that rock is made from is put to some human purpose. While “a rock” and “a stone” (countable nouns) somewhat correlate with that distinction, they have much greater semantic overlap, and often the choice is just idiomatic. But I do think a weak correlation is there - the word stone _tends_ to be used more when there is a stronger and clearer purpose, the word rock _tends_ to be used when it’s a more casual purpose. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/37 "2023-01-30T16:20:16Z")
Yeah, something like is what I feel, as well. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/38 "2023-01-30T16:22:21Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > And while “a rock” and “a stone” (with the indefinite article) somewhat correlate with that distinction, they have much greater semantic overlap, and often the choice is just idiomatic. In my mind “a stone” can be things like river rocks that are rounded by water into a roughly handheld or throwable form, even if they are entirely natural. I might (wildly) speculate that these were the ur-stones, and they found some human use (e.g. roads/fences/small buildings) and the term was later generalized to any rock that is usable by humans. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/39 "2023-01-30T16:23:38Z")
We might note that while a diamond is formally a “stone,” one slang term for it is “a rock,” e.g., “You should have seen the rock he gave her!” If slang = more casual, that sort of fits the distinction we’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017/40 "2023-01-30T16:52:41Z")
I should have included _kő_ and _szikla_ in the list, because I organized according to synonyms of _szikla_. I looked up the Hungarian Wikipedia article on the Dome of the Rock and got _szikla_. Then I looked up the article on the Black Stone and got _kő_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stone/979017.md?page=3)