tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8937414969460147900.post43178067805420179..comments2024-03-06T07:06:38.928-08:00Comments on JSBlog - Journal of a Southern Bookreader: Happi thoughtsRay Girvanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05556764642402680159noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8937414969460147900.post-57619665517584061402011-01-10T16:11:45.292-08:002011-01-10T16:11:45.292-08:00When I graduated High School, my grandparents gave...When I graduated High School, my grandparents gave me a much prized reference book, the nearly cubical "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics" for 1952, which [the book, not the year], delighted me by explaining that Nickel derived from the German and was named for the devil, 'Old Nick.' I visited the OED after reading your blog and found this etymology less than precise, but containing some truth in its essentials.Eric Schonblomhttp://www.constancesavery.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8937414969460147900.post-12570625837815045752011-01-10T20:32:57.233-08:002011-01-10T20:32:57.233-08:00Hello, Eric - nice to hear from you (I was looking...Hello, Eric - nice to hear from you (I was looking at your <a href="http://www.constancesavery.com/" rel="nofollow">Constance Savery site</a> recently - you've done some serious work there).<br><br>I was under the impression that - a pity! - the "devil" etymology for the word "nickel" is viewed as increasingly dubious. Looking at oed.com, the 1989 OED has "<i>The second element in kupfernickel is app. G. nickel, dwarf, rascal, mischievous demon, the name being given to the ore because it actually yielded no copper in spite of its appearance</i>", but the current new edition omits this.<br><br>"Cobalt", on the other hand, seems to have solid etymological connection with "kobold".Ray Girvanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05556764642402680159noreply@blogger.com