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"chemistry" in seven languages

Meaningchemistry

Spanish

química

/ˈkimika/

fem.learned

French

chimie

/ʃimi/

fem.learned

Italian

chimica

/ˈkimika/

fem.learned

Portuguese

química

/ˈkimikɐ/

fem.learned

Romanian

chimie

/kiˈmie/

fem.borrowed · French chimie

Catalan

química

/ˈkimikə/

fem.learned

English

chemistry

/ˈkɛmɪstɹi/

from Latin/French · chemist, short for alchemist (Medieval Latin ALCHIMISTA)

English → ItalianchemistrychimicaCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CHIMIAM (Medieval Latin, from Arabic al-kīmiyāʼ)‘alchemy’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Chemistry is alchemy without the Arabic article al-. French reads the ch as [ʃ]; Spanish respells it qu, Italian keeps chi for [ki].

English relatives: chemical, chemist, alchemy

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In a sentence

  • esSuspendí el examen de química.
  • frJ'ai raté l'examen de chimie.
  • itSono stato bocciato all'esame di chimica.
  • ptFui reprovado na prova de química.
  • roAm picat examenul la chimie.
  • caHe suspès l'examen de química.
  • enI failed the chemistry exam.

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