Definitions

fèi fermium

Etymology phono-semantic

metal

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a modern scientific coinage for the synthetic radioactive element fermium. The traditional form places the metal radical on the left, signifying an actinide, and the phonetic (fèi) on the right, chosen to approximate the first syllable of 'fermium,' named after physicist Enrico Fermi. The simplified uses the abbreviated radical and the simplified phonetic . Lacking classical roots or usage outside modern chemistry, the character exemplifies the systematic creation of element names by pairing a semantic radical for state of matter with a phonetic approximation of the international name.