Why Silver's Chemical Symbol Is Ag
Silver is a precious grey-white metal. Its English name is Germanic, while its symbol Ag comes from the unrelated Latin argentum.
Silver is a lustrous white metal, long used for coins and tableware. The chemistry symbol Ag looks like a mistake until you know it stands for Latin *argentum*: English inherited its own Germanic word for the metal, so the name and the symbol come from two unrelated languages. Argentina is named after the same Latin word, in hope of silver that was never really there.
- The metal. *Sterling silver.*
- Silverware or coins. *The family silver.*
- A grey-white colour. *Silver hair.*
- Second place. *She took silver.*
- Silver lining — a consolation in trouble. *Every cloud has a silver lining.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | silver | Pure silver. |
| Adjective | silver | A silver ring. |
| Adjective | silvery | A silvery light. |
| Verb | silver | Silvered glass. |
| Symbol | Ag | From Latin argentum. |
- The cup is solid silver.Material.
- He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.Idiom: born wealthy.
- Silver medals went to the Dutch pair.Sport.
Elements whose symbols do not match their names
- Silver, Ag — Latin *argentum*
- Gold, Au — Latin *aurum*
- Iron, Fe — Latin *ferrum*
- Lead, Pb — Latin *plumbum*, also behind *plumber*
- Sodium, Na — Latin *natrium*
Old English *seolfor*, from a Proto-Germanic root shared with German *Silber*. Its ultimate origin is unclear and may be a loan from a non-Indo-European language.
Why is silver's symbol Ag?
Because chemical symbols were fixed using Latin names. Silver is argentum in Latin, so the symbol takes its first two letters.
Is Argentina named after silver?
Yes, from Latin argentum. Early European explorers expected to find silver in the region.