Back to all words

Neon

2 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a colorless, inert gaseous element used in illuminated signs
1
Stage 1 of 2
neos
Greek · ancient
"new"
literally new, describing the newly discovered gaseous element
2
Stage 2 of 2
neon
English · 1898
"an inert gaseous element used in glowing signs"
coined by its discoverers for the newly isolated inert gas
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom