titanium

Where does the word "titanium" come from? It comes from Greek Titan, and was adopted directly into English (1795).

Titanium’s story begins in Greek: Titan meant “the Titans, a race of giant deities.” The primordial giant deities, lending their name to the strong, resilient metal. It reached English by 1795 as titanium. Named by chemist Martin Klaproth after the mythical Titans. Today, titanium means a strong, lightweight, corrosion-resistant metallic element.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient Titan "the Titans, a race of giant deities", the primordial giant deities, lending their name to the strong, resilient metal.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1795 titanium "a strong, lightweight, corrosion-resistant metal", named by chemist Martin Klaproth after the mythical Titans.