Science, ideas & the artsArabic exports

alkali

Arabic al-qily meant the ashes of saltwort, a plant of salty soil whose ash yields soda. Alchemists' Latin alkali took it into every European language and Dutch carried it to Japan; chemistry widened it in 1813 to every base that neutralizes an acid, and German Kali 'potash' named potassium, whose symbol is still K.

Weakest linkCertain

The road to English

From Medieval Latin to French

From Medieval Latin to German

From German to New Latin, Russian

From Medieval Latin to Italian

From Medieval Latin to Spanish

From Medieval Latin to Dutch

From Dutch to Japanese

From Dutch to Indonesian

From English to Swahili

900 CEArabic

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.