Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Arabic ·1300s
Alchemy
from al-kīmiyāʾ
- Meaning
- The art of transmutation — precursor of chemistry.
- Source word
- al-kīmiyāʾ
- Route into English
- Greek *khēmeia* → Arabic *al-kīmiyāʾ* → Medieval Latin *alchymia* → Old French → English. Arabic scholars preserved and extended Hellenistic chemical knowledge; the word kept its al- prefix when it travelled back west.
- Arrived
- 1300s
From Arabic
Science, trade, and the Mediterranean transit of Andalusian scholarship gave English its Arabic stratum — especially in maths, chemistry, and commerce. Many entered through Latin or Italian.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.