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Alchemist meaning6/22/2023 ![]() ![]() It has been recognized since at least Jean-François champollion ( L'Égypte sous les Pharaons, tome premier, Paris, 1814, pp. Though this etymology would appear relatively satisfactory, the existence of a variant chēmeîā, which in vernacular Byzantine pronunciation would not have differed from chymeîā, has led to speculation of another origin. The Greek form chymeîa would appear to be a derivative of an unattested verb *chymeúein "to pour, cast, fuse" (compare Late Greek chýmeusis "alloy"), itself a derivative of chýma (with short y) "fluid, ingot, bar," etymologically "something poured," a derivative of chéō, cheîn "to pour, shed," but probably influenced in form by chȳmós "animal or plant fluid" (as a direct derivative from chýma would be *chymateúein see chyme, chyle, found entry 5). Middle English alkemye, alkamye, alchymie, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin Anglo-French alkemye (Middle French also alquimie, arquemie), borrowed from Medieval Latin alkimia, alchymia "transmutation of base metals into gold, the philosopher's stone," borrowed from Arabic al-kīmiyāʼ, from al "the" + kīmiyāʼ "art of transmuting base metals," borrowed, perhaps via Syriac kīmiyā, from Late Greek chymeîā, chēmeîā, of uncertain origin These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alchemy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 2022 Doja’s set was already a trip, contorting her pop alchemy into heavy-metal magic. 2022 Although his seven guests offer plenty of exciting moments throughout the album, Pedro Canale (real name) shines bright on his own in four of them, where his spellbinding alchemy is pushed to the forefront. ![]() 2023 It is not dictated by fame but connection to audience, an alchemy of talent and soul. 2023 The alchemy of Ukrainian success with HIMARS, multiple observers have noted, has three key elements: the existential nature of their fight, their aptitude and familiarity with artillery operations, and an uncommon understanding of how their invader operates. Alan Cowell, New York Times, In addition to the concept, Fonda also had the idea to cast Tomlin and Parton, creating a sparkly alchemy that virtually radiates from the screen. Tom Teicholz, Forbes, On Saturday, the regal alchemy will be conjured anew at King Charles III’s coronation at Westminster Abbey in London. Tahneer Oksman, Washington Post, Nonetheless, the works remain vessels for the alchemy of each viewer's projections and imaginations. ![]() Recent Examples on the Web Some forgotten memories, as Proust famously demonstrated, can become accessible through what seems like a kind of alchemy. This power to transform things for the better, real or imagined, led to figurative meanings for alchemy and alchemist. Some other words derived from Arabic also retain the al- in English, such as algebra, algorithm, and alcohol in fact, the transformative liquid that was constantly being sought through experimentation by alchemists is another word with the Arabic al- prefix: elixir. The word then passed from Latin to French before coming to English. The long route to English for alchemist began with the Greek word chēmeia, which probably came from the word chyma (“fluid”), derived from the verb chein, meaning “to pour.” It then passed to Arabic, which added its definite article al- (“the”) to the Greek root. Their secretive experiments, usually involving heat and the mixing of liquids, led to the development of pharmacology and the rise of modern chemistry. Alchemists believed that lead could be “perfected” into gold, that diseases could be cured, and that life could be prolonged through transmutation, or a change of some essential element into a superior form. Today we recognize alchemy as a pseudoscience, and give chemistry its rightful place as a serious scientific field, but the two terms initially overlapped in meaning before separating by the 17th century, just as astrology and astronomy did during the same period.Īlchemy and alchemist are in fact older words than chemistry and chemist in English. ![]() Alchemist: Someone Who Transforms Things for the Better ![]()
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