bromine

Where does the word "bromine" come from? It comes from Greek bromos, and was adopted directly into English (1826).

Bromine’s story begins in Greek: bromos meant “a stench.” A stench, describing the element's sharp, unpleasant odor. It reached English by 1826 as bromine. Coined by its discoverer for the foul-smelling reddish-brown liquid element. Today, bromine means a reddish-brown liquid chemical element with a sharp, unpleasant odor.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient bromos "a stench", a stench, describing the element's sharp, unpleasant odor.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1826 bromine "a reddish-brown liquid element with a sharp odor", coined by its discoverer for the foul-smelling reddish-brown liquid element.