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Because alchemists were afraid of people stealing their recipes. Jabir bin Hayyan (aka Geber) the father of chemistry wrote in his own shorthand which is named
by hasmanean 1y ago
Because alchemists were afraid of people stealing their recipes. Jabir bin Hayyan (aka Geber) the father of chemistry wrote in his own shorthand which is named after him—-gibberish or jibberish.
So Lead, gold, and quicksilver were not the substances their names suggest. They were codenames. The real processes have never been revealed.
- hinkley 1y agoSort of like how witches weren’t maiming newts for their potions. Eye of newt is mustard seed.
- dcminter 1y agoUnlikely. https://www.reddit.com/r/etymology/comments/1ge48sq/macbeths_witches_where_did_the_false_redefining/ https://www.reddit.com/r/etymology/comments/1ge48sq/macbeths...
- andrewshadura 1y agoThe proposed etymology of gibberish is interesting, but unfortunately untrue :)
- hasmanean 1y agoIt was declared untrue in 1818 by Johnson’s dictionary. But that’s just 1 vote. ;)