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Where does the word "krypton" come from? It comes from Greek kryptos, and was adopted directly into English (1898).
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Where does the word "krypton" come from? It comes from Greek kryptos, and was adopted directly into English (1898).
Krypton’s story begins in Greek: kryptos meant “hidden.” Literally hidden, describing an element that eluded detection for years. It reached English by 1898 as krypton. Coined by its discoverers for the newly isolated inert gas. Today, krypton means a colorless, inert gaseous chemical element used in some lighting.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient kryptos "hidden", literally hidden, describing an element that eluded detection for years.
- Stage 2 · English · 1898 krypton "an inert gaseous element", coined by its discoverers for the newly isolated inert gas.