pH
The origin and history of pH.
Etymology
Introduced in 1909 by chemist S. P. L. Sørensen; the "H" stands for hydrogen, and the "p" likely abbreviates a word for "power" or "potential" in Sørensen's notation.
Class of 1909
pH first entered the language around 1909. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1909 →