Etymology

alkali

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Today it means: One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, soda ash, caustic soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing characteristics are dissolving in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue. Full definition →

French alcali ← Medieval Latin alcali ← Arabic اَلْقِلْي (al-qily)
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The story

  1. Arabicاَلْقِلْي (al-qily)
  2. Medieval Latinalcali
  3. Frenchalcali
  4. English todayalkali

From French alcali, from Medieval Latin alcali, ultimately from Arabic اَلْقِلْي (al-qily, “alkali, ashes (in reference to ashes of the saltwort)”), related to قَلَى (qalā, “to roast in a pan, fry”).

Words from the same roots

Arabicاَلْقِلْي all →

alkaline

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.