汉语中“化学”一词最早出现于1856年英国传教士韦廉臣(A·Williamson,1829—1890)编的“格物探源一”书,是英语“Chemistry”一词的意译。“chemistry”来源于拉丁语“alchemy”,后者来源于阿拉伯语“al-kimiya”。关于“al-kimiya”的来源有两种说法。一种比较普遍的说法,认为 alchemy 来源于古埃及。最初提到化学科学(scientia chi-miae)的是费米克(Firmicus),他在公元前四世纪前半叶写了本称为“马塞西斯”的占星术的书,且残缺不全。他在书中对化学这门 The word “chemistry” first appeared in Chinese in the 1856 book by the British missionary Williamson (A.Williamson, 1829-1890), which is a translation of the English word “Chemistry.” “Chemistry” comes from the Latin “alchemy”, which comes from the Arabic “al-kimiya”. There are two arguments about the source of “al-kimiya”. One of the more common arguments is that alchemy comes from ancient Egypt. The first reference to scientia chi-miae was Fermicus, who wrote an astrological book called Masais in the first half of the fourth century BC and was incomplete. He is in the book about chemistry