Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “chemical” come from?

Chemical derives from English chemic, which comes from Latin alkimia, derived from Arabic كيمياء, ultimately from Ancient Greek χημεία.

chemical (English): Of or relating to chemistry; Of or relating to a...

Definitions

  1. Of or relating to chemistry; Of or relating to a...

Ancestry of “chemical”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-ál—
2EnglishaldehydeAny of a large class of reactive organic...
3GermanAldehydaldehyde
4Latinalcoholkohl, collyrium, stibium; any other powder...
5Andalusian Arabicكُحُول—
6Arabicكحلantimony; kohl, stibnite; black coloring of the...
7Arabicكُحْلantimony; kohl, stibnite
8Akkadianguḫlum—

Words derived from “chemical”

  • biochemical
  • chemically
  • electrochemical
  • geochemical
  • physicochemical
  • photochemical
  • immunohistochemical
  • petrochemical
  • biogeochemical
  • neurochemical
  • biochemically
  • histochemical
  • electrochemically
  • thermochemical
  • immunocytochemical
  • stereochemical
  • agrochemical
  • physiochemical
  • immunochemical
  • phytochemical
  • hydrochemical
  • photoelectrochemical
  • photochemically
  • mechanochemical
Every word from Akkadian guḫlum →