The word chemistry derives from the word alchemy, which is found in various forms in European languages.  Alchemy derives from the Arabic word kimiya () or al-kīmiyāʾ ().  The Arabic term is derived from the Ancient Greek , khēmia, or , khēmeia, art of alloying metals, from χύμα (khúma, “fluid”), from χέω (khéō, “I pour”).
However, the ultimate origin of the  word is uncertain.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, al-kīmiyāʾ may be derived from the greek , which is derived from the ancient Egyptian name of Egypt, khem or khm, khame, or khmi, meaning "blackness", i.e., the rich dark soil of the Nile river valley.  Therefore, alchemy can be seen as the "Egyptian art" or the "black art".  However, it is also possible that al-kīmiyāʾ derived from , meaning "cast together".