1
Stage 1 of 3
potaschen
Dutch · medieval
"pot ashes"
pot ashes, describing the substance leached from wood ash in pots
2
Stage 2 of 3
potash
English · 1600s
"an alkaline substance derived from wood ash"
settled as the English word for the ash-derived alkaline substance
3
Stage 3 of 3
potassium
English · 1807
"the metallic element isolated from potash"
coined by Humphry Davy with a New Latin -ium ending after isolating the element from potash
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom