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It looks like the author's first language may be Dutch, where carbon monoxide is "koolmonoxid" and "kool" can mean both "coal" and "carbon" (although there are
by taejo 9y ago
It looks like the author's first language may be Dutch, where carbon monoxide is "koolmonoxid" and "kool" can mean both "coal" and "carbon" (although there are more specific words for coal such as "steenkool" = "stone carbon").
- alkonaut 9y agoSame in most Germanic/Scandinavian languages I believe. Carbon and Coal are synonymous. Coal as in coal power, coal barbecue, and the element carbon use the same word. That’s not a coincidence. Apart from some exotic forms like diamonds, trees or rabbits (less pure), coal is how we normally encounter carbon.
- jakobegger 9y agoIn German "Kohle" means coal, and "Kohlenstoff" is carbon. It's not the same word. (But carbon monoxide is "Kohlenmonoxid")
- Qwertious 9y ago>Apart from some exotic forms like diamonds, trees or rabbits (less pure), coal is how we normally encounter carbon. Also graphite. But yeah, coal is basically the purest form of carbon in common bulk usage.
- gambiting 9y agoThe same in Polish, which is a Slavic language - Carbon Monoxide is "Tlenek Węgla" - and "Węgiel" literally means coal.
- TomMarius 9y agoSame in Czech. "Kyslicnik uhlicity", and "uhli" means coal (plural).
- vkou 9y agoIn Russian, Carbon is "Uglerod", whereas coal is "Ugle". CO, when not referred to by its colloquial name, would be "Uglekislorod" - literally, Coal-oxide.