Etymograph

English

alkanium

Alkanium comes from German Alkan ‘alkane’, and goes back to Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη ‘wood’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῡ̔́ληhū́lē‘wood’
  2. Germanc. 1650–presentAlkyl
  3. German, derivedc. 1650–presentAlkan‘alkane’
  4. English1500–presentalkane
  5. Englishtodayalkanium

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῡ̔́ληhū́lē‘wood’
  2. Germanc. 1650–presentAlkyl
  3. German, derivedc. 1650–presentAlkan‘alkane’
  4. English1500–presentalkane
  5. Englishtodayalkanium

A compound of alkane + -ium

Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη ‘wood’

German Alkyl

German Alkan

English alkane

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *swel-

swell, swollen, dimethyl, swole, swill, diethyl, 31 more

through Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη ‘wood’

methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, phenyl, ethane, 20 more

Today it means

noun any carbocation obtained by hydrogenation of an alkane

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη / alkanium

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