An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A silver-gray black metallic → chemical element which is very brittle; symbol As. → Atomic number 33; → atomic weight 74.9216; → boiling point 613.0 °C (sublimation); → valence -3, 0, +3, or +5. The uncombined element is not considered poisonous, but many of its compounds are extremely so, and are used in medicine and for destroying pests. Its longest-lived radioactive → isotope, ⁷³As, has a → half-life of 80.3 days.

M.E. arsenik, from O.Fr. arsenic, from L. arsenicum, from Gk. arsenikon "arsenic," adapted from Syriac (al) zarniqa "arsenic," from Mid.Pers. zarnik "arsenic," literally "gold-colored," probably because of the lemon-yellow color of arsenic trisulphide (Mod.Pers. zarnix, zarni "arsenic"), from zarr, zar "gold" (+ -ik→ -ic); Av. zaranya-, zarənu- "gold;" O.Pers. daraniya- "gold;" cf. Skt. hiranya- "gold;" also Av. zaray-, zairi- "yellow, green;" Mod.Pers. zard "yellow;" Skt. hari- "yellow, green;" Gk. khloe literally "young green shoot;" L. helvus "yellowish, bay;" Rus. zeltyj "yellow;" P.Gmc. *gelwaz; Du. geel; Ger. gelb; E. yellow.

Ârsenik, loan from Fr., as above.