• zikzak025
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    1 day ago

    Aluminum came first, for what it’s worth. British publications just added the extra i because they thought it sounded fancier.

    • TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 day ago

      Not true. It came from the latin word alumina, or French alun, yet the British spelling maintains the “ium” suffix as with many other elements in the periodic table. The British spelling, which is the same in many other countries and widely accepted as the correct spelling, predates the American spelling. The Americans made a simplified version.

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      • zikzak025
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        1 day ago

        the British spelling maintains the “ium” suffix as with many other elements in the periodic table.

        Lanthanum, molybdenum, platinum. It could be said aluminum follows the “-num” suffix used by other elements on the periodic table.

        The British spelling, which is the same in many other countries and widely accepted as the correct spelling, predates the American spelling.

        The British spelling was originally alumium, as written by Sir Humphry Davy. But this didn’t comply with the naming standard of alumina as its oxide. To include the n, he started writing it as aluminum, before the third spelling aluminium entered popular use in academic circles.

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