Etymology

neodymium

N1E1O1D2Y4M3I1U1M3

Today it means: A chemical element (symbol Nd) with an atomic number of 60: a hard, slightly malleable silvery rare earth metal that quickly tarnishes in air and moisture. Full definition →

English didymium ← Ancient Greek δίδυμος (dídumos) ← Proto-Hellenic *dúwo
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*nu
  2. Proto-Indo-European*néwos
  3. Proto-Hellenic*néwos
  4. Ancient Greekνέος (néos)
  5. Ancient Greekνεο- (neo-)
  6. Englishneo-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  8. Proto-Hellenic*dúwo
  9. Ancient Greekδύο (dúo)redup.
  10. Ancient Greekδίδυμος (dídumos)
  11. Englishdidymium
  12. English todayneodymium

From neo- + (di)dymium.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.