English
chlorine
Chlorine comes from Ancient Greek χλωρός ‘pale green’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰelh₃-‘green, yellow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰl̥h₃rósreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kʰlōrós‘greenish-yellow, pale green’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχλωρόςkhlōrós‘pale green’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982chlorine
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰelh₃-‘green, yellow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰl̥h₃rósreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kʰlōrós‘greenish-yellow, pale green’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχλωρόςkhlōrós‘pale green’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982chlorine
Earliest quotation: 1982, Richard Saferstein, Forensic Science Handbook: “The mechanism involved in the explosive reaction between swimming…”
The story
Coined by British chemist Humphry Davy in 1810 from Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós, “pale green”) + -ine.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- ‘green, yellow’
gold, fell, yellow, gall, cholera, gullible, yolk, felon, glib, gild, choline, zloty, 29 more
Today it means
noun A toxic, green, gaseous chemical element (symbol Cl) with an atomic number of 17.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- / chlorine