helium

Significat (English)

1. The second lightest chemical element (symbol He) with an atomic number of 2 and atomic weight of 4.002602, a colorless, odorless and inert noble gas.
2. A form or sample of the element.

Synonyms

He

👨

atomic number 2

limnodium

swamp community

Amb guionet com a

he‧li‧um

Pronunciat com a (IPA)

/ˈhiː.li.əm/

Etimologia (English)

From New Latin helium, from Ancient Greek ἥλιος (hḗlios, “sun”) (because its presence was first theorised in the Sun's atmosphere) with the suffix + -ium. Probably coined by Norman Lockyer. This suffix is unusual, because it is usually used only for metallic elements. It is likely that Lockyer, being an astronomer, was unaware of the usual chemical conventions.