About Czech Names of Elements and Their Symbols

Abstract

The history of the creation of the names and symbols of elements resulting in the current form approved by IUPAC is long and interesting. A small number of elements have been known since ancient times and civilizations, from where they brought their names. Other elements were gradually being discovered from the 17th to the beginning of the 21st century. New elements have been variously named and subsequently provided with international names. In Bohemia, the need to find Czech names for new elements appeared in the 19th century. An important creator of these names was Jan Svatopluk Presl. Some of its names are still used in Czech. Other Czech names were suggested by Karel Slavoj Amerling. Another notable creator of Czech chemical terminology, Vojtěch Šafařík, replaced some peculiar Czech names of elements with international ones, and only 19 of them have been keeping their original Czech names till present. After Šafařík's reform, Czech chemical terminology has been stabilized and remained essentially unchanged.