saponify etymology

Etymology

The word "saponify" is derived from the Latin word "sapo," meaning "soap," and the suffix "-ify," meaning "to make."

Meaning

Saponification is the chemical process of converting fats or oils into soap by reacting them with an alkali, such as sodium hydroxide (lye) or potassium hydroxide. The resulting mixture is a soap, which is a salt of a fatty acid and an alkali.

Origin

The term "saponify" was first used in the early 19th century to describe the process of making soap. It is thought that the term was coined by the French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul, who conducted extensive research on the chemistry of fats and oils. Chevreul's work helped to establish the understanding of saponification as a chemical reaction and paved the way for the modern soap industry.

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