Ammonium
/əˈmoʊniəm/noun
A positively charged ion derived from ammonia, NH4+.
Did you know?The root behind ammonium traces back to Jupiter Ammon, the Greco-Roman form of the Egyptian god Amun, whose desert sanctuary at Siwa became famous enough to lend its name to a salt later called sal ammoniac.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Egypt / Pre-Greek
Egyptian
Amun
“The name of a major Egyptian deity associated with hiddenness, air, and kingship.”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
Ammon
“Greek form of the god’s name, especially linked to the oracle of Zeus-Ammon in the Libyan desert.”
Late Latin
Latin
sal ammoniacum
““Salt of Ammon,” the name for ammonium chloride obtained from desert deposits.”
Middle English
English
ammoniac
“A salt or gum-resin associated with Ammon; later used in chemistry for ammonium compounds.”
18th–19th Century
English
ammonium
“The name given to the ammonium ion in modern chemistry.”
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