Naphthene
/ˈnæf.θiːn/noun
Any of a class of saturated cyclic hydrocarbons, especially those found in petroleum.
Did you know?Naphthenes are cycloalkanes, and their name comes from naphtha, an ancient petroleum distillate famed for its extreme flammability; Greek fire is sometimes associated with naphtha, though its exact formula remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
2nd millennium BCE
Akkadian
napṭu
“Petroleum or bitumen-like inflammable oil”
Antiquity
Arabic
nāfṭ
“Petroleum, naphtha, or combustible mineral oil”
Ancient Greek
Greek
νάφθα (náphtha)
“Naphtha, a naturally occurring flammable petroleum substance”
Late Middle English
Latin/English
naphta / naphtha
“A volatile, inflammable petroleum liquid”
1880s
Russian/English chemistry
naphthene
“A saturated cyclic hydrocarbon found in petroleum; the term was introduced in nineteenth-century chemical nomenclature”
Modern English
English
naphthene
“A cycloalkane, particularly one occurring in crude petroleum”
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