Alchemy
Alchemy (ăl'kə-mē)
Alchemy is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition practiced throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia, originating in Greco-Roman Egypt in the first few centuries.
Etymology
The word alchemy comes from Old French alquemie, alkimie, used in Medieval Latin as alchymia. This name was itself brought from the Arabic word al-kīmiyā (الكيمياء) composed of two parts: the Late Greek term khēmeía (χημεία), also spelled chēmeía (χημεία) and khēmía (χημεία), and the Arabic definite article al- (الـ), meaning 'The'. Therefore, this etymology suggests that Alchemy is the science of substances.
Related Terms
- Philosopher's Stone: A legendary substance, allegedly capable of turning inexpensive metals into gold.
- Hermeticism: A religious, philosophical, and esoteric tradition based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus.
- Elixir of Life: A mythical potion that, when drunk from a certain cup at a certain time, supposedly grants the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth.
- Transmutation: The conversion of one substance into another.
- Chrysopoeia: The artificial production of gold through alchemy.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Alchemy
- Wikipedia's article - Alchemy
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