Where did silver get its name?

Answer 1

The word silver comes from proto-Germanic *silubra-which itself probably comes from a common Germanic/Balto-Slavic term for the metal. We're not quite sure what that word was, but most Germanic, Baltic, and Slavic languages have words for silver that are clearly related to each other: Dutch zilver, German silber, Russian serebro, Polish srebro, Lithuanian sidabras. Contrast these with the Romance languages, where the word for silver is clearly not closely related to the earlier words: Latin argentum, French argent, Italian argento, Romanian argint, Spanish plata(your guess is as good as mine on that one).

The Germanic/Balto-Slavic word may have originated with Akkadian sarpu "refined silver" from sarapu "to refine or smelt."

Silver (the metal) has been known for a very long time, so the names for it go back a long way.

Answer 2

The name "silver" comes from the Old English word "seolfor," which in turn originates from the Proto-Germanic word "silubra." These words ultimately derive from the Latin word "argentum," which is where the chemical symbol for silver, Ag, comes from.

Answer 3

If by "name on the Periodic Table" you mean its symbol, Ag is derived from the Latin word for silver, argentum.