radium

Where does the word "radium" come from? It comes from Latin radius, passing through French before entering English (1899).

Radium’s story begins in Latin: radius meant “ray, beam.” Ray, beam, referring to the rays it emits. By 1898, the word had taken hold in French as radium. Coined by Marie and Pierre Curie for the intensely radioactive element they discovered. It reached English by 1899 as radium. Discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898, named from Latin 'radius', ray. Today, radium means a rare, highly radioactive metallic element that glows faintly.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient radius "ray, beam", ray, beam, referring to the rays it emits.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1898 radium "the radioactive element discovered by the Curies", coined by Marie and Pierre Curie for the intensely radioactive element they discovered.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1899 radium "a rare, highly radioactive metallic element", discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898, named from Latin 'radius', ray.