chimie (French)
Where does "chimie" come from?
The French word 'chimie' traces its origins back to the ancient term 'alchemia,' which evolved through Latin as 'chimia.' Eventually, it transitioned into Middle French as 'chymie' before shedding its prefix to become the modern term for the science of chemistry.
Full etymology tree
- chimie (French), 'chemistry (the science)'
- inherited chymie (Middle French)
- borrowed chimia (Latin), 'alternative form of chēmia'
- derived alchemia (Latin), 'alchemy'
- borrowed اَلْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ) (Arabic)
- inherited χυμείᾱ (khumeíā) (Ancient Greek)
- borrowed اَلْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ) (Arabic)
- derived alchemia (Latin), 'alchemy'
- borrowed chimia (Latin), 'alternative form of chēmia'
- inherited chymie (Middle French)
Ancestors
- chimia (Latin)
Descendants and derived words
- chimie nucléaire (French)
- chimie organique (French)
- chimie quantique (French)
- شیمی (Persian)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris