li-ion

The term "li-ion" is a modern technological portmanteau, a condensed form of "lithium-ion." Its logic is directly chemical and physical. "Lithium," named for its discovery in mineral stone, provides the lightweight, highly reactive metal central to the battery's chemistry. "Ion," meaning "that which goes" in Greek, perfectly describes the charged particles that shuttle between electrodes during charging and discharging. The fusion of these concepts into a hyphenated abbreviation reflects the precise engineering language of late-20th-century electronics, where efficiency in terminology mirrors the efficiency of the technology itself.

This is a compound abbreviation. "Li" is the chemical symbol for the element lithium, from New Latin 'lithium', itself from Greek 'lithos' (stone). "Ion" is a term for an electrically charged atom or molecule, from Greek 'ion' (going), neuter present participle of 'ienai' (to go). The hyphen connects the two abbreviated components.