From Latin 'elementum' (first principle) — possibly from the alphabetic sequence L-M-N, linking letters to building blocks.
A fundamental substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means; a component or constituent part of something.
From Old French 'element,' from Latin 'elementum' ('a first principle, a rudiment, a letter of the alphabet'). The origin of Latin 'elementum' is debated. One theory derives it from the sequence of letters L, M, N (el-em-en), just as English 'ABCs' stands for the basics of literacy. Another theory connects it to an Etruscan source. The semantic shift from 'letter' to 'basic constituent'
The ancient Greeks believed in four elements — earth, water, air, and fire — while the ancient Chinese had five: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Modern chemistry recognises 118 elements, from hydrogen (atomic number 1) to oganesson (118). Remarkably, 94 of these occur naturally; the rest were synthesised in laboratories, some existing for mere fractions of a second.