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Origin and history of alkali

alkali(n.)

late 14c., "soda ash," from Medieval Latin alkali, from Arabic al-qaliy "the ashes, burnt ashes" (of saltwort, which abounds in soda due to growing in alkaline soils), from qala "to roast in a pan." Later extended to similar substances, natural or manufactured. The modern chemistry sense is from 1813.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to alkali

alkalescent(adj.)

"becoming or tending to become alkaline," 1732, from alkali + -escent. Related: Alkalescence.

alkaline(adj.)

1670s, "pertaining to alkalis," from alkali + -ine (1). Of soils, from 1850. Related: Alkalinity.

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Trends of alkali

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

base
c. 1300, "foundation" (of a building, etc.); "pedestal" (of a statue), in general, "bottom of anything considered as its support," from Old French bas "depth" (12c.), from Latin basis "foundation," from Greek basis "a stepping, a step, that on which one steps or stands, pede
ammonia
volatile alkali, a colorless gas with a strong pungent smell, 1799, coined in scientific Latin 1782 by Swedish chemist Torbern...Also known as spirit of hartshorn and volatile alkali or animal alkali....
leach
"a preparation made by leaching or straining" (1630s), in later use especially "a separation of lye or alkali in solution...
potash
"vegetable alkali; substance obtained originally by leaching wood-ashes and evaporating the solution obtained in a large...
last
c. 1200, "latest, final, following all others," a contraction of Old English latost (adj.) "slowest, latest," superlative of læt (see late); in some uses from late (adv.). Cognate with Old Frisian lest, Dutch laatst, Old High German laggost, German letzt. Meaning "last in space,
salt
Old English sealt "salt, sodium chloride, abundant substance essential to life, used as a condiment and meat preservative," from Proto-Germanic *saltom (source also of Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old Frisian, Gothic salt, Dutch zout, German Salz), from PIE root *sal- "salt." Applied fr
slat
late 14c., earlier sclat (c. 1300), "a roofing slate; a thin, flat stone," from Old French esclat "split piece, chip, splinter" (Modern French éclat), a back-formation from esclater "to break, splinter, burst," which probably is from Frankish *slaitan "to tear, slit" or some othe
compound
late 14c., compounen, "to put together, to mix, to combine; to join, couple together," from Old French compondre, componre "arrange, direct," and directly from Latin componere "to put together," from com "with, together" (see com-) + ponere "to place" (see position (n.)). The une
perpendicular
late 15c., perpendiculer, of a line, "lying at right angles to the horizon" (in astronomy, navigation, etc.), from an earlier adverb (late 14c.), "at right angles to the horizon," from Old French perpendiculer, from Late Latin perpendicularis "vertical, as a plumb line," from Lat
diligent
"constant in effort to accomplish what is undertaken," mid-14c., from Old French diligent (14c.) and directly from Latin diligentem (nominative diligens) "attentive, assiduous, careful," present-participle adjective from diligere "single out, value highly, esteem, prize, love; as

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Dictionary entries near alkali
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