0
The word "nickel"'s origin is actually German. When miners looking for copper struck nickel instead they often blamed their bad luck on a gremlin-like Sprite called Old Nick, whose name is related to various nicknames for the Devil. The ore was thus sometimes referred to as Kupfernickel, or "the devil's copper". Eventually the "Kupfer" prefix was dropped, resulting in nickel.
Spelling:
Many people mistakenly spell the name as "nickle". That too is a valid word but it refers to a small European bird rather than a hard, silvery metal!
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
The word nickel comes from the German word "kupfernickel," which originally referred to the mineral "niccolite." "Kupfernickel" translates to "copper devil" in English, as the mineral resembled copper ore but yielded no copper when smelted. There is no direct connection to Latin or Greek origins for the word nickel.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Does the word neurotoxin have any Greek or Latin roots?
The word "neurotoxin" comes from the Latin words neuron(nerve) and toxicum (poison). The Latin words come from the Greek words neuro (cord) and toxikon pharmakon (arrow poison).
What are the language roots of the word?
The origins of the word anodyne come from the Latin anodynus and Greek anodynos meaning painless.
Is the root word dorm latin or greek?
The root word "dorm" is Latin. It comes from the Latin word "dormire," which means "to sleep."
What language does coral come from?
The word "coral" comes from the Latin word "corallium."
Is Fract a Latin or Greek root word?
"Fract" is a Latin root word, derived from the Latin verb "frangere" meaning "to break."
Where did the word geology come from?
greek and latin greek and latin
Does the word monera come from latin or greek?
latin
Did the word boron come from latin or greek?
greek
Did the word amoeba come from Latin or Greek?
From the Greek word for "change."
Where does the word formula come from Latin Greek etc.?
Latin
Does the word doctor come from Greek?
no latin and in latin it means teacher, heard it from a radio show. * The Greek word for doctor is "iatros".
What language does the word synagogue come from?
Greek-Latin.
What language does the word segregate come from?
latin and greek
Where did the word Chrismon come from?
greek and Medieval latin
Did civilization come from Latin?
This word comes from Greek
The word 'science'comes from the greek word meaning?
Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning "knowledge") does not come from a greek word.
What does the word Tundra biome come from?
It comes from Greek, Latin
