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English

naphthalene

/ˈnæfθəliːn/ · noun

Meaning

  1. A white crystalline hydrocarbon manufactured from coal tar; used in mothballs.
  2. An aromatic bicyclic hydrocarbon, C₁₀H₈; an acene containing two fused benzene rings.

Etymology / origin

Etymology tree Akkadian napṭumbor.? Old Persian *naftahbor. Ancient Greek νάφθα (náphtha)bor. Latin naphthabor. English naphth(a) Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al French -ènebor. English -ene English naphthalene From naphth(a) + -al + -ene.

Related words

Descendant words

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