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

In the 4th century AD, the alchemist Zosima from the city of Panopolis 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 great Emperor Alexander of Macedon discovered the grave of a famous sage, whose inscription was deciphered by them. 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 an ancient scientist, no "philosophical" stone is obtained.

Historical Assumptions

Some researchers believe that the 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." Residents 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 little story about the origin of the word "chemistry". In the III century BC in the city of Alexandria (Ancient Egypt), the first Academy of Sciences was founded. "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 a thousand years with enviable persistence fought over the mystery of obtaining gold from simple metals. Whether it is the mystery of the "philosophical stone" or the mystery of the "alkagest", 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, German chemie and French chimie.