hydrogen
/ˈhaɪdrədʒən/·하이드로젠·noun
the lightest chemical element
GreekCEFR B1
Root
hydro- (water) + Greek 'gennan' (to produce)
Greek hydōr (water) + gennan (produce) → French hydrogène (Lavoisier, 1787) → English hydrogen
In a word
Greek hydōr (water) + gennan (to produce) = 'water-maker'. Lavoisier coined the name in 1787, noting that burning this element produces water. The same hydro lives in hydrate (add water), hydraulic (moved by water pressure), dehydrate (remove water). Element 1 on the periodic table, by Greek name, is "the parent of water" — etymology turning chemistry into poetry.
Examples
Water contains hydrogen and oxygen.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe.
Hydrogen fuel could power future cars.
Related
hydratehydraulicdehydratehydrologyoxygen