antimony English · revision 1087

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈæn.tɪ.mə.ni/ ''(UK)''; /ˈæn.tɪˌmoʊ.ni/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''antimonie'',^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|fro|antimoine]]^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and [[der|la-med|antimonium]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) a word of obscure origin.^(Etymonline) It is probably a Latinization of an Arabic word such as ''al-ʾiṯmid'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) borrowed from or influenced by Greek ''stímmi'' “powdered antimony”, used to paint the eyelids,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and ultimately from Egyptian ''stm''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) In French it was reshaped by folk etymology as ''anti-moine'' “monk's bane”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Black antimony, antimony sulphide, a powder used in medicine and alchemy (about 1425; early 15th century in Etymonline; 1477 in the OED).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The substance had been used as an eye cosmetic in Egypt since at least 3000 BCE.^(Etymonline) As the name of the pure metallic element, earlier called ''regulus of antimony'', the word is recorded from 1788.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) Its chemical symbol ''Sb'' is from Latin ''stibium'', the name for black antimony.^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 11th century – Medieval Latin ''antimonium''.^(Etymonline)

+ * about 1425 – antimony sulphide.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1788 – the chemical element.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A brittle, lustrous, silvery-white [[metalloid]] [[element]], used in alloys, semiconductors and flame-retardant compounds; atomic number 51, symbol Sb.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[stibnite|alt=Stibnite]], the native sulphide of antimony.^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[antimonial]]

+ * [[antimonate]]

+ * [[antimonic]]

+ * [[antimonide]]

+ * [[antimonous]]

+ * [[antimonyl]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[stibnite]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Wiktionary warns against confusing ''antimony'' with ''antinomy'', a contradiction or paradox.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}