silico- (English)
Where does "silico-" come from?
The English combining form 'silico-' was formed by combining the noun 'silicon' with the linking vowel '-o-'[1]. The base word 'silicon' was coined by Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson as an alteration of 'silicium'[2], an earlier term created by Humphry Davy in 1808[4]. This chemical root derives from the stem of Latin 'silex', meaning 'flint' or 'silica'[2], coupled with the '-on' ending modeled after 'carbon'[2].
Open questions
- The deeper origins of Latin 'silex' remain uncertain, although it has been tentatively compared to 'siligo' and 'siliqua'. [3]
Full etymology tree
- silico- (English), 'silicon, silicone'
- affix silicon (English), 'A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.'
- derived silicium (English), 'The chemical element silicon.'
- learned borrowing silicium (Latin), 'silicon (chemical element 14)'
- affix silex (Latin), 'pebble, stone, flint'
- suffix -ium (Latin), 'Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes denoting offices and groups. May no longer be productive.'
- learned borrowing silicium (Latin), 'silicon (chemical element 14)'
- suffix -on (English), 'Forming names of noble gases and certain nonmetal elements.'
- derived carbon (English), 'The chemical element (symbol C) with an atomic number of 6. It can be found in pure form for example as graphite, a black, shiny and very soft material, or diamond, a colourless, transparent, crystalline solid and the hardest known material.'
- derived silicium (English), 'The chemical element silicon.'
- affix -o- (English), 'A linking vowel inserted interconsonantally between two morphemes, to ease pronunciation, without contributing to the meaning. It frequently joins words or combining forms of Ancient Greek or Classical Latin origin in the classical compounds of New Latin and international scientific vocabulary, but it can also be used to join modern terms and even abbreviations, either formally or informally.'
- affix silicon (English), 'A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.'
Ancestors
- silicon (English)
- -o- (English)
Sources
- silico- (English) - Wiktionary
- silicon (English) - Wiktionary
- silex (Latin) - Wiktionary
- silicium (English) - Wiktionary
- carbon (English) - Wiktionary
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris