chlorine

Where does the word "chlorine" come from? It comes from Greek khloros, and was adopted directly into English (1810).

Chlorine’s story begins in Greek: khloros meant “pale green.” Pale green, describing the gas's distinctive color. It reached English by 1810 as chlorine. Coined by chemist Humphry Davy for the newly identified greenish gas. Today, chlorine means a yellow-green reactive gaseous element used in disinfectants.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient khloros "pale green", pale green, describing the gas's distinctive color.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1810 chlorine "a yellow-green reactive gaseous element", coined by chemist Humphry Davy for the newly identified greenish gas.