Elementymology & Elements Multidict by Peter van der Krogt
Argentum
Silver
Pop-ups with explanatory texts appear by moving your mouse over tables, illustrations, links etc.
Ag
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Elementymology & Elements Multidict by Peter van der Krogt
Argentum
Silver
Pop-ups with explanatory texts appear by moving your mouse over tables, illustrations, links etc.
|
Ag
47
|
|
Multilingual dictionary
Indo-EuropeanLanguage key — Germanic Silver en sv Silber de Sëlwer lb Zilver nl Silwer af Sulver fy Sølv da no Silfur is Silvur fo — Italic Argentum la Argent fr ca oc Plata es Prata pt gl Argento it Arint fur Argint ro Asime arm — Slavic Серебро [serebro] ru Срiбло [sriblo] uk Серабро [serabro] by Srebro pl sl hr bos Strzébro kas Stříbro cs Striebro sk Сребро [srebro] sr mk bg — Baltic Sidabras lt Sudrabs lv Sirablas sud — Celtic Arian cy Airgead ga gd Argid gv Arhans kw Arc'hant br — Other Indo-European Αργυρος [argyros] el Argjent sq Արծաթ [artsat'] hy — Indo-Iranian Æвзист [ævzist] oss Uralic Hopea fi Hõbe et Ezüst hu Сия [sija] mok Altaic Gümüş tr Кüмис [kümis] kk Кумуш [kumuš] uz Nukra tg Мөнгө [möngö] mn Other (Europe) Zilarra eu ვერცxლი [verc'xli] ka East- & South-Asia 銀 [gin] ja 銀 [yin2 / ngan4] zh (mand./cant.) 은 [eun] ko Bạc vi เงิน [ngoen] th Argentum, Perak ms வெள்ளி [veļļi] ta Afro-Asiatic فضة [fiDDah] ar Fidda mt כסף [kesef] he Africa Agenti sw Artificial Argxento eo New names Silveron (SLV) aen Forkium dms |
Appearance, some properties, a memory peg and a summary of discovery and etymology
History & Etymology
"And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold." (Gen. 13:2)The Egyptians considered gold to be a perfect metal, and gave it the symbol of a circle. Since silver was the closest to gold in perfection, it was given the symbol of a semi-circle. Later this semi-circle led to a growing moon symbol, probably due to the likeness between the shining metal and the moon glow. The noble metals, gold and silver, are found in the native state, and as is well known, gold and silver were used to make jewelry and sheet metal due to the great ductility and lustre of the pure metals. Its malleability and ductility make it ideal for ornamental purposes. It was also used for paying debts, in personal and religious places decoration and in utensils of the wealthiest houses. Some mineral scums in old mines of the Near-East and in some islands of the Aegean sea seem to reveal that by 5000 b.C. a method was already known to separate silver from lead. Early gold and silver ornaments from the Indian subcontinent are found from Indus Valley sites such as Mohenjodaro (ca 3000 BC). The monetary use of silver may well be as old as that of gold but the abundance of the native metal was probably far less, so that comparable supplies were not available until a method of winning the metal from its ores had been discovered. It appears, however, that by perhaps 3000 BC a form of cupellation was in operation in Asia Minor and its use gradually spread, so that silver coinage was of crucial economic importance to all subsequent classical Mediterranean civilizations. In astrology alchemy the seven heavenly bodies known to the ancients were associated with seven metals also known in antiquity:
The long history of Silver is reflected in the many different words for this metal. See the list of names to the left and in the overview of Silver in over 100 languages (click here). We can identify at least seven diffent roots.
The names in the Roman languages (except some on the Iberian peninsula), in the Celtic languages and in Albanian are derivations from the Latin. It is the only element after which a country is named (Argentina > argentum).
Chemistianity 1873
VEYAN
SILVER, the proverbially bright metal, (Argentum), is of a bright white colour With brilliant lustre, not affected By pure Aire. Silver Suboxide is black, The Monoxide is brown. Silver is the best Known conductor of Electricity And Heat; 'tis extremely ductile; fine Silver wire Of seventy-eight one-thousandth inch diameter Will support one hundred and eighty pounds weight Without breaking. Sulphur, if present in Air, In time tarnishes Silver articles. Further reading
From Andis Kaulins, Indo-European Afro-Asiatic Words for Metals - Copper Lead Tin Iron Bronze Gold Amber:
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© Peter van der Krogt
