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Where does the word "germanium" come from? It comes from Latin Germania, and was adopted directly into English (1886).
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Where does the word "germanium" come from? It comes from Latin Germania, and was adopted directly into English (1886).
Germanium’s story begins in Latin: Germania meant “Germany.” The Latin name for Germany, honoring the element's discoverer's homeland. It reached English by 1886 as germanium. Named by its German discoverer after his home country. Today, germanium means a brittle, grey-white metalloid element used in semiconductors.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient Germania "Germany", the Latin name for Germany, honoring the element's discoverer's homeland.
- Stage 2 · English · 1886 germanium "a brittle, grey-white metalloid element", named by its German discoverer after his home country.