benzene
/ˈbɛnziːn/
noun
Origin
Arabic
lubān jāwī — Java frankincense
Overview
Meaning Now
- A colorless, volatile, flammable liquid aromatic hydrocarbon (C6H6) derived from petroleum and used in the manufacture of various chemical products, plastics, and dyes.
Language path
Arabic → French → English
Earliest form
benzène
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The name originates from 'benzoin', a resinous substance. In 1825, Michael Faraday isolated a new hydrocarbon from illuminating gas, but it was Eilhard Mitscherlich in 1833 who produced it from benzoic acid and named it 'benzin' (later 'benzene' in English).
Evolution
- Medieval
lubān jāwī
“Java frankincense”
A resin from Southeast Asia.
- 16th century
benzoïn
“resin of the styrax tree”
The term entered European languages via trade.
- 19th century
benzène
“liquid obtained by distilling benzoic acid”
Coined by Eilhard Mitscherlich.
Connections
Word parts
benz-
root
derived from benzoin
-ene
suffix
chemical suffix indicating an unsaturated hydrocarbon
Related across languages
French
benzène
benzene
German
Benzol
benzene
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Related to benzene
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.