Etymology Map
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Gas

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means an air-like substance that expands to fill any space; petrol (US)

Where does the word "gas" come from? It comes from Greek cháos, passing through Dutch before entering English (1650s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
cháos
Greek · ancient
"void"
the formless void; Hesiod's Theogony says 'first of all Chaos came into being'
2
Stage 2 of 3
gas
Dutch · 1640s
"air-like substance"
the Brussels chemist Jan Baptist van Helmont coined it from chaos, Dutch g sounding like Greek kh; his writings, published in 1648, describe gas from burning charcoal
3
Stage 3 of 3
gas
English · 1650s
"air-like substance; fuel"
gas lighting lit London streets from 1807; 'gas' for petrol is short for American 'gasoline'
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Read the full story

Gas’s story begins in Greek: cháos meant “void.” The formless void; Hesiod's Theogony says 'first of all Chaos came into being'. By 1640s, the word had taken hold in Dutch as gas. The Brussels chemist Jan Baptist van Helmont coined it from chaos, Dutch g sounding like Greek kh; his writings, published in 1648, describe gas from burning charcoal. It reached English by 1650s as gas. Gas lighting lit London streets from 1807; 'gas' for petrol is short for American 'gasoline'. Today, gas means an air-like substance that expands to fill any space; petrol (US).