THE LIBRARY OF IBERIAN RESOURCES ONLINE

ISLAMIC AND CHRISTIAN SPAIN
IN THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES

Thomas F. Glick


Table 5

Medieval Castilian Chemical Terminology

Medieval Castilian                     Arabic                         Meaning

A. THE SEVEN SPIRITS

1. alcrebite                                 al-kibrît                                 sulphur
2. almocrate, almohatre              al-noshadîr                         sal ammoniac
3. atutía                                     al-tútlyâ'                                 zinc oxide
4. azarnefe                                 al-zirnîkh                                 arsenic
5. azogue                                   al-zâ'uq                                 quicksilver
    variant: sebic                          zibaq
6. magnesia                                                                             magnesia
7. marcasita                               marqashîtâ                             marcasite

B. CHEMICAL APPARATUS

1. alambique                             al-inbîq                                 upper part of
                                                                                            distillation vessel
2. alcolla                                  al-qulla                                 large glass decanter,
                                                                                                cruet
3. alcuza                                  al-kuza                                     oil jug
4. alquitara                               al-qitâra                                 distillation vessel
5. aludel                                   al-'utal                                     open tube to
                                                                                                receive products
                                                                                                of sublimation