Where does “calomel” come from?
Calomel comes from French calomel, ultimately derived from Greek kalós meaning "beautiful" and mélas meaning "black," referring to the white mineral's darkening upon exposure to light.
calomel (English): mercurous chloride HgCl, formerly used as a...
Definitions
- mercurous chloride HgCl, formerly used as a...
Ancestry of “calomel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | calomel | calomel |
| 2 | French | calomélas | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | καλός | beautiful, lovely; good, quality, useful; good,... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | εἶδος | That which is seen: form, image, shape;... |
| 5 | Spanish | -scopio | -scope |
| 6 | Latin | -scopium | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | σκοπέω | I look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | σκοπός | watcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | σκέπτομαι | I look at, examine; I examine, consider, think |
| 10 | Proto-Hellenic | sképťomai | to look at |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | spéḱyeti | to be looking at, to keep looking at |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | speḱ- | to see, to look, to observe |