Chemical Elements.com - Naming of Heavy Elements

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Due to disputes over the discovery of some of the heavier elements, the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has devised a systematic naming scheme, based on Greek and Latin roots. When a new element is discovered, it is named by the following procedure:

1. The element's atomic number is examined and broken down into individual numbers. For example, the hypothetical element numbered 119 would be separated into 1-1-9.

2. The element's numbers are replaced by the Latin and Greek naming system, as shown in this table:

Number	Name	Number	Name
0	nil	5	pent
1	un	6	hex
2	bi	7	sept
3	tri	8	oct
4	quad	9	enn

Using the previous example, 1-1-9 would change to Un un enn.

3. All the roots are put together, and -ium is added to the end. If bi or tri, occur before -ium, the i is dropped. If enn occurs before nil, the last n is dropped. Using the same example, Un un enn becomes Ununennium.

4. The symbol is the first letter of all the Greek and Latin parts that make up the element's name. Thus, the symbol for Ununennium is Uue.