neon

Where does the word "neon" come from? It comes from Greek neos, and was adopted directly into English (1898).

Neon’s story begins in Greek: neos meant “new.” Literally new, describing the newly discovered gaseous element. It reached English by 1898 as neon. Coined by its discoverers for the newly isolated inert gas. Today, neon means a colorless, inert gaseous element used in illuminated signs.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient neos "new", literally new, describing the newly discovered gaseous element.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1898 neon "an inert gaseous element used in glowing signs", coined by its discoverers for the newly isolated inert gas.