potassium
puh-TAS-ee-uhm · noun
LatinEnglish
Origin
Coined in 1807 by British chemist Humphry Davy, who built the word from potassa, a Latinized form of potash, adding the chemical suffix -ium.
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Journey
The word was created at the moment of discovery, giving Davy's new element a name in one stroke rather than borrowing an old one.
Related words
It shares its root with potash itself, the substance Davy started from when he named the element.