Where does “chromium” come from?
chromium (French) comes from New Latin chrōmium, from French chrome, from Ancient Greek χρῶμα, from Proto-Indo-European gʰreu — to grind, rub.
Ancestry of “chromium”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | New Latin | chrōmium | — |
| 2 | French | chrome | chromium |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | χρῶμα | skin; color ; pigment; complexion |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰreu | to grind, rub |