scandium
UK[ˈskændiəm]US[ˈskændiəm]
n
a soft, silvery-white metallic chemical element (symbol Sc), used in some high-intensity lights and in certain aerospace alloys.
Morpheme Breakdown
scand
ium
scand
scandinavia
ium
chemical element suffix
Etymology
the element scandium was discovered in 1879 by swedish chemist lars fredrik nilson. its name is derived from 'scandia', the latin name for scandinavia, in honor of the region where the mineral containing the element was first found. the suffix '-ium', a standard neuter ending in latin adopted into scientific nomenclature, denotes it as a metallic element. thus, the name literally means 'the metal from scandinavia', commemorating its geographical discovery origin.
Analysis
Structure: scand (scandinavia) + ium (chemical element suffix)
scand is a clipped form from 'scandinavia', a region name of latin origin. ium is a latin-derived suffix used to form names of metallic chemical elements.
Examples
scandium is often alloyed with aluminum to create lightweight materials for the aerospace industry.
the unique spectral lines of scandium helped confirm its existence as a new element.
although not abundant, scandium compounds are used in high-intensity stadium lighting.