Naphtha
/ˈnæfθə/noun
A flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture, especially a petroleum distillate.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from a very old Near Eastern term for petroleum, and in classical antiquity naphtha was famous as a fire-bearing liquid used in incendiary warfare and legendary fire rituals.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Iranian / Old Persian
Iranian
*nafta-
“petroleum, bitumen, or naturally seeping oil”
Ancient Greek
Greek
νάφθα (náphta)
“a flammable petroleum-like liquid”
Late Latin
Latin
naphtha
“volatile petroleum or liquid bitumen”
Old French
Old French
naphte
“naphtha; petroleum distillate”
16th Century
English
naphtha
“a highly flammable liquid obtained from petroleum or distillation”