What’s in a word – Electric!
Recommended for Preparatory Grades
Electric means something that is producing or using electricity. It also means something that is very exciting (for example – “electric” music or a movie). Surprisingly, the word ‘electric’ comes from amber. This is because if you rub amber on cloth, it generates static electricity.
What is amber?
Amber is fossilised tree resin, usually orange-yellow in colour. Resin is a kind of liquid that trees produce. Amber is popularly used to make jewellery.
Fun facts about ‘Electric’!
- ‘Electric’ comes from the modern Latin electricus (literally “resembling amber”), which in turn, comes from the Latin word electrum (meaning “amber”). This ultimately came from the Greek word elektron (also meaning “amber”).
- The word ‘electric’ was first used in 1626 by Sir Francis Bacon, an English philosopher and statesman.
- He took it from the word ‘electricus’ used by scientist William Gilbert in his 1600 book De Magnete. Here it meant ‘the flow of charged particles through a medium’.
Here is a video of amazing things that have been found in Amber.
Video credit: The Finest/Youtube
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