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Where does “alkane” come from?

Alkane derives from German Alkan, a term coined in organic chemistry whose ultimate origin and meaning remain unclear.

alkane (English): Any acyclic saturated hydrocarbon

Definitions

  1. Any acyclic saturated hydrocarbon

Ancestry of “alkane”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanAlkanalkane
2Germanalk-—
3GermanAlkylalkyl
4GermanAlkoholalcohol, ethanol; alcohol, liquor
5Medieval Latinalcoholpowdered ore of antimony; kohl, collyrium,...
6Arabicكحلantimony; kohl, stibnite; black coloring of the...
7Arabicكُحْلantimony; kohl, stibnite
8Akkadianguḫlum—

Words derived from “alkane”

  • alkanethiol
  • haloalkane
  • alkanol
  • cycloalkane
  • chloroalkane
  • isoalkane
  • nitroalkane
  • alkanesulfonate
  • fluoroalkane
  • cycloalkanol
  • polyhaloalkane
  • alkanofer
  • heterocycloalkane
  • alkanium
  • アルカン
  • 알칸
  • 알케인
Every word from Akkadian guḫlum →