xenon
ZEE-non · noun
Ancient GreekEnglish
Origin
Xenon comes from Ancient Greek ξένος (xénos), meaning 'foreign' or 'strange,' combined with the suffix -on used for naming noble gases.
Journey
The name was applied directly to this newly isolated element, marking it as an odd stranger among the gases of the atmosphere.
Related words
It shares its root with other words built on xénos, all carrying the sense of foreignness or strangeness.