Definitions

niobium

Etymology phono-semantic

metal

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 铌 is a modern phono-semantic compound created for the periodic table. The left-side radical 钅 (traditional 釒) indicates it is a metallic element. The right component 尼 (ní) provides the phonetic element, approximating the first syllable of the Latin name "niobium". As a technical term for a transition metal, it has no historical etymology in classical Chinese and functions solely within scientific and industrial contexts.