The origin of the word "chemistry": the hypothesis of appearance and not only

Another 3000 years before our era the word "chemistry" appeared. This fact is undeniable, the proof is cuneiform tablets, found during the excavations of the remains of the ancient cities of Egypt and Asia Minor. The origin of the word "chemistry" is difficult to establish. Researchers have devoted a lot of time and energy to this issue.

The distant past

Already in the IV century AD alchemist Zosima from the cityPanopolis of Ancient Greece believed that the very word "chemistry" came from the word "hemes", which is the abbreviated name of Hermes Trismegistus. This ancient Greek character received knowledge in the form of the so-called "divine revelation", he was the legendary sage of his time.

According to an old legend, the soldiers of the greatEmperor Alexander of Macedon discovered the grave of a famous sage, the inscription on which they were able to decipher. This record revealed to them the secret of obtaining the "philosophical stone". According to ancient researchers, with the help of it you could turn any metal into gold. Of course, science has proved that according to the proposed recommendation of the ancient scientist no "philosophical" stone is obtained.

Historical Assumptions

Some researchers believe thatthe origin of the word "chemistry" is associated with the ancient Greek language and means the art of smelting metals, including gold. Byzantine lexicographer, who lived in the X-XI century AD, believed that this word implies the preparation of silver and gold. In ancient Chinese, the word "gold" sounded consonant: "Him-kim." The inhabitants of Ancient Egypt, or, as they were called, "Chemie", were outstanding chemists of their time, and often the origin of the word "chemistry" is associated with the name of this country. Since that time, the recipe for the preparation of perfumes and pharmaceuticals has been preserved. Therefore, the history of the origin of the word "chemistry" goes back to ancient Egypt, and the concept itself is identical to the expression "Egyptian science".

The first "universities"

Let's continue our short story about the originthe word "chemistry". In the III century BC in the city of Alexandria (Ancient Egypt) was founded the first Academy of Sciences. "Sacred art," as they were then talking about chemistry, was built a separate building, which received the name of the temple of Serapis. Later we come across the concept of "alchemy", which was introduced by the Arabs. They added the prefix to the concept of "chemistry" introduced by the Egyptians. Many alchemists for thousands of years with enviable perseverance fought over the mystery of obtaining gold from simple metals. Whether it is the mystery of the "philosophical stone" or the mystery of the "algagast", which in ancient times was considered a universal solvent. The formula for obtaining these mysterious substances has never been known to anyone. Gradually, from century to century, alchemy began to acquire the very structure of modern chemistry. A philosopher, a doctor who lived in Tajikistan, Abu Ali al-Hussein, better known as Avicenna, at that time was already able to get nitric, sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. Alchemy ceased to be an actual area of ​​human activity at the beginning of the 18th century.

The origin of the word "chemistry" in our time is associated with the Late Latin word Chimia. It is identical to the English word chemistry, the German chemie and the French chimie.