Alcali
/ˈæl.kə.laɪ/noun
An obsolete or variant form of alkali, referring to a substance with basic chemical properties, especially one obtained from plant ashes.
Did you know?The word preserves the Arabic definite article al-, also found in algebra and alcohol, reflecting the major transmission of scientific vocabulary through medieval Arabic scholarship.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 10th Century
Arabic
al-qily
“The calcined ashes of plants, especially ashes used in making alkaline substances”
10th–12th Century
Arabic
al-qali
“The ashes or ash-derived material used in chemical and industrial processes”
12th–13th Century
Medieval Latin
alcali
“An alkaline substance, borrowed from Arabic scientific terminology”
13th–15th Century
Italian/European Latin
alcali
“A substance obtained from ashes and capable of neutralizing acids”
16th Century
English
alcali
“An alkaline salt or substance, chiefly in early scientific writing”
Modern English
English
alkali
“A soluble base, such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide; “alcali” survives mainly as an obsolete or variant spelling”
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