Where does “magnesium” come from?
Magnesium derives from Latin magnesium, formed with the Latin suffix -ium from Ancient Greek Μαγνησία, a region name with the Ancient Greek suffix -ῐ́ᾱ ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -yós.
magnesium (English): The chemical element with an atomic number of...
Definitions
- The chemical element with an atomic number of...
Ancestry of “magnesium”, step by step
magnesium traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via New Latin magnēsium
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Latin | magnēsium | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | Μαγνησία | Magnesia |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | -ῐ́ᾱ | {{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |
via Latin magnēs
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | magnēs | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | μαγνήτης λίθος | Magnesian stone |