Written by Sarah Canarelli
In 2021, President Joe Biden declared the month of April as National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM). NAAHM recognizes and celebrates the numerous contributions made by Arab Americans to diplomacy, science, social justice, technology, as well as in art and culture. In chemistry and science in general, a surprising number of terms are of Arabic origin. Below is a list of a few of those terms that we all come across on a regular basis.
Chemistry/Alchemy
Derived from the Arabic word al-kīmiyāʾ (الكيمياء) meaning "the art of transformation".
Alkaline
Derived from the Arabic word al-qaly (القلوي) meaning "ashes of the saltwort".
Boron/Borax
Derived from the Arabic word buraq (البورق) meaning "white".
Benzoin/Benzene
Derived from the Arabic word luban jawi (لبان جاوي) meaning "incense from Java".
Sodium
Derived from the Arabic word suwwad (صوديوم) meaning "saltwort".
Aniline
Derived from the Arabic word an-nil (الأنيلين) meaning "the indigo".
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