Etymograph

English

sulfate

Sulfate comes from French sulfate, and goes back to Latin sulphur ‘sulfur’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsulphur‘sulfur’
  2. New Latinc. 1500–1900sulphatum
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentsulfate
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1982same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsulphur‘sulfur’
  2. New Latinc. 1500–1900sulphatum
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentsulfate
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1982same form

Earliest quotation: 1982, Wulai: Hot springs resort with treasury of culture: “Another type, also common in the Taipei area has…”

Formed from sulfur + -ate ‘salt or ester’

Anglo-Norman sulfre

Middle English sulphur

English sulfur

first attested The term was first used in 1787 by the French chemist L (as stated in the etymology)

The story

The term was first used in 1787 by the French chemist L.

Linked words

through Latin sulphur ‘sulfur’

sulfur, 1 more

Today it means

noun Any salt or ester of sulfuric acid.

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

Etymograph / Latin sulphur / sulfate

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