χυμεία

Forms

χῠμείᾱ (khumeíā) f (genitive χῠμείᾱς); first declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is disputed, and Beekes finds it impossible to decide between the two main explanations.^[2] The word is attested late, so it cannot be told whether the spelling with ⟨υ⟩ or the variant χημεία (khēmeíā) with ⟨η⟩ is the original one.^[2]

Diels took it as a Greek word, from Ancient Greek χύμα (khúma, “what is poured; casting”), from χέω (khéō, “to pour”), through an unattested verb meaning “to alloy”, so that χυμεία would be “the art of alloying metal”.^[2][3] Wiktionary also prefers a formation from that noun with the suffix -εία (-eíā).^[1]

The older etymology of Pott derives it from Ancient Greek Χημία (Khēmíā), the native name of Egypt that Plutarch records, which originally meant “black land”: χυμεία would come from an unattested verb meaning “to work in the Egyptian way”, or would be formed like μαγεία (mageíā) as “the Egyptian art”, and the ⟨υ⟩ would be a popular spelling after χυμός (khūmós, “juice”).^[2][3] Beekes thinks this remains possible.^[2] Frisk rejects a derivation from the word for juice itself.^[3]

Ancient writers had their own account: Zosimus of Panopolis said the art was named after its supposed inventor, Chymes.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in the alchemical writers Zosimus and Olympiodorus, for the art of alloying and transmuting metals, alchemy.^[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

Later Greek also had χύμευσις (khúmeusis) for the same art and χυμευτικός (khumeutikós), “concerning alchemy”.^[2][3] The Suda and other Byzantine writers spell the word with ⟨η⟩.^[4]

The Greek word was borrowed as Arabic الكيمياء (al-kīmiyāʔ).^[1] From Arabic it reached Medieval Latin and the languages of Europe as the word for alchemy.^[1][5] The Modern Greek χημεία (chimeía) “chemistry” is a learned borrowing back from French chimie, which goes back through alchimie to the Arabic word, and Triantafyllidis sees in that Arabic word a blend of χυμεία with Χημία.^[5] Babiniotis also considers the etymology uncertain.^[6]

Timeline

• 3rd–4th century AD – Zosimus the alchemist uses the word for the art of alloying metals.^[2][4][7]
• 4th century AD – Olympiodorus the alchemist uses the spelling χυμεία.^[2][4][7]
• 12th century AD – Eustathius and Tzetzes use the related noun χύμευσις (khúmeusis).^[2][7]
• Modern Greek – χημεία (chimeía) “chemistry” is borrowed back from French.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The art of alloying and transmuting metals, alchemy.^[2][1][8]

Word family

• χύμευσις (khúmeusis)
• χυμευτικός (khumeutikós)

Related words

• χύμα (khúma)
• χέω (khéō)
• Arabic الكيمياء (al-kīmiyāʔ)
• French chimie
• English alchemy

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
4. ^ a b c d Charbonnet, André (2025), Chæréphon, v4.7: supplement to Bailly from papyri, inscriptions and recent lexica
5. ^ a b c Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
6. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
7. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
8. ^ Korinthios, J. (2025), Grande Dizionario Greco Classico: Greco–Italiano, digital ed., Milan: Hoepli