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InappropriateTA t1_iy9qt8b wrote

Reply to comment by InfiniteJestV in TIL Aluminium Christmas trees dropped in popularity after being negatively portrayed in A Charlie Brown Christmas by castironcake

Aluminium follows the naming format of a lot of other post-transition metals.

We have Gallium, Germanium, Cadmium, Indium, etc. not Gallum, Germanum, Cadmum, Indum, etc.

Also, it was a British chemist who is credited as the person who named it. And it was originally proposed as alumium, which was criticized by other chemists from other countries who thought it should be named for the oxide alumina from which the metal would be isolated.

Anyway, it was also that same British chemist who used the spelling aluminum in a chemistry textbook.

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InfiniteJestV t1_iy9v03l wrote

Thank you for sharing this for everyone. I'm familiar with the history and find it very amusing. It's why I relish the opportunity to insist that one way is "correct" while the other is not.

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