Etymology

nitrogen

ni·tro·gen
N1I1T1R1O1G2E1N1

Today it means: The chemical element (symbol N) with an atomic number of 7 and atomic weight of 14.0067. It is a colorless and odorless gas. Full definition →

French nitrogène ← Ancient Greek γένος (génos) ← Proto-Hellenic *génos
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The story

  1. Egyptiannṯr
  2. Egyptiannṯrj
  3. Ancient Greekνίτρον (nítron)
  4. Latinnitrum
  5. Frenchnitre
  6. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁os
  8. Proto-Hellenic*génos
  9. Ancient Greekγένος (génos)
  10. Frenchnitrogène
  11. English todaynitrogen

Borrowed from French nitrogène (coined by French chemist and physician Jean-Antoine Chaptal in 1790). By surface analysis, nitro- + -gen. See also niter.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.