arsenic

arsenic
\ \ [14] The term arsenic was originally applied to the lemon-yellow mineral arsenic trisulphide, and its history reveals the reason: for its appears to be based ultimately on Persian zargold’ (related forms include Sanskrit hariyellowish’, Greek khlōrosgreenish-yellow’, and English yellow itself). The derivative zarnīk was borrowed into Arabic as zernīkh, which, as usual with Arabic words, was perceived by foreign listeners as constituting an indivisible unit with its definite article althe’ – hence azzernīkh, literally ‘the arsenic trisulphide’. This was borrowed into Greek, where the substance’s supposed beneficial effects on virility led, through association with Greek árrēnmale, virile’, to the new forms arrenikón and arsenikón, source of Latin arsenicum and, through Old French, of English arsenic. The original English application was still to arsenic trisulphide (orpiment was its other current name), and it is not until the early 17th century that we find the term used for white arsenic or arsenic trioxide. The element arsenic itself was isolated and so named at the start of the 19th century.
\ \ Cf.CHLORINE, YELLOW

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Arsenic — (pronEng|ˈɑrsənɪk) is a chemical element that has the symbol As and atomic number of 33. Arsenic was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250cite book |last=Emsley |first=John |title=Nature s Building Blocks: An A Z Guide to the Elements |year …   Wikipedia

  • ARSENIC — L’arsenic est l’élément chimique de symbole As et de numéro atomique 33. Bien qu’il soit très répandu dans le règne minéral et dans les organismes vivants, une quarantaine d’éléments sur quatre vingt douze sont plus abondants que lui; il ne… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • arsenic — ARSÉNIC s.n. Pulbere fină, albă, cu miros de usturoi, foarte toxică pentru om; arsen (2). ♢ (Adjectival) Acid arsenic = acid rezultat din combinarea arsenului (1) cu acid azotic. – Din fr. arsenic, lat. arsenicum. Trimis de romac, 25.10.2007.… …   Dicționar Român

  • arsenic — ARSENIC. s. m. Demi métal qui a la propriété de se dissiper dans le feu sous la forme d une fumée dont l odeur est semblable à celle de l ail. On compte trois espèces d Arsenic, le blanc, le jaune et le rouge. L Arsenic blanc est pur, et a été… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • arsenic — [är′sə nik΄; ] for adj. [ är sen′ik] n. [ME < OFr < L arsenicum < Gr arsenikon, yellow orpiment; ult. (? via Syr zarnīk(ā)) < Iran * zarnīk, gold colored (> Pers zarnīq, arsenic); assoc. in Gr with arsenikos, strong, masculine] 1.… …   English World dictionary

  • arsenic — (n.) late 14c., from O.Fr. arsenic, from L. arsenicum, from late Gk. arsenikon arsenic (Dioscorides; Aristotle has it as sandarake), adapted from Syriac (al) zarniqa arsenic, from Middle Persian zarnik gold colored (arsenic trisulphide has a… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Arsenic — Ar*sen ic, a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, arsenic; said of those compounds of arsenic in which this element has its highest equivalence; as, arsenic acid. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Arsenic — Ar se*nic ([aum]r s[ e]*n[i^]k; 277), n. [L. arsenicum, Gr. arseniko n, arreniko n, yellow orpiment, perh. fr. arseniko s or better Attic arreniko s masculine, a rrhn male, on account of its strength, or fr. Per. zern[=i]kh: cf. F. arsenic.] 1.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • arsenic — ARSENIC. s. m. Espece de mineral & de poison fort corrosif. On luy donna de l arsenic, il fut empoisonné avec de l arsenic …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • arsenic — arsenic; or·tho·arsenic; …   English syllables

  • arsenic — ARSENIC: Se trouve partout (rappeler Mme Lafarge). Cependant, il y a des peuples qui en mangent …   Dictionnaire des idées reçues

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