The exact origin of the name "silver" is unknown.
While we don't know who first named silver, we can trace its linguistic roots. The term "silver" comes from the Anglo-Saxon words seofor and siolfur. The source of these Anglo-Saxon terms, however, is not known. The chemical symbol for silver, "Ag", derives from the Latin word argentum and the Sanskrit word argunas, which means "bright."
| Word Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Anglo-Saxon | seofor & siolfur |
| Latin | argentum |
| Sanskrit | argunas ("bright") |
Silver has been used by humans for at least 5000 years, as evidenced by archaeological findings. It's a metal that has been valued across many cultures throughout history.
