Re: Missing term

["James R. Frysinger" <frysingerj@COFC.EDU>]

On Thursday 2003 August 28 20:39, you wrote:
...
> According to my 1901 Carhart & Chute text, "When a body changes from the
> solid to the liquid state by the application of heat, it is said to
> melt, or fuse, and the change is called melting, fusion, or
> liquefaction."  From my 1964 Dull, Metcalfe & Williams text, "Change of
> state from a solid to a liquid is called fusion ... Fusion is the
> scientific term for what is commonly called melting, or liquefaction."
....

        I'm pondering the etymology of that word. Perhaps, it comes from the days
when smelters might "fuse" a granular ore or bits of metal by melting them.
We can speak of fusing two pieces of metal together, but that is
traditionally done by co-melting them at their juncture. Thus the "fusing"
could be refering to the melting and not the joining of the metals.

        A non-authoritative web search indicates that "fusion" dates from 1555 and
derrives from the the Latin fusio, "a pouring out, melting, casting" from
fundere, "to pour out".

Jim

--

James R. Frysinger
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