Английский Этимологический словарь - mine (n.)

- c.1303, from O.Fr. mine, from Celt. (cf. Welsh mwyn "ore, mine;" Ir. mein "ore, mine"), from P.Celt. *meini-. Italy and Greece were relatively poor in minerals, thus they did not contribute a word for this to Eng., but there was extensive mining from an early date in Celtic lands (Cornwall, etc.). Military sense of "lay explosives" is 1630, from old tactic of tunneling under enemy fortifications to blow them up.