section_path: Etymology and pronunciation
section_name: Etymology and pronunciation
paragraph_text: Etymology and pronunciation
  
  Metallurgy derives from the Ancient Greek μεταλλουργός, metallourgós, "worker in metal", from μέταλλον, métallon, "mine, metal" + ἔργον, érgon, "work" The word was originally an alchemist 's term for the extraction of metals from minerals, the ending -urgy signifying a process, especially manufacturing: it was discussed in this sense in the 1797 Encyclopædia Britannica.
  
  In the late 19th century, metallurgy's definition was extended to the more general scientific study of metals, alloys, and related processes. In English, the / m ɛ ˈ t æ l ər dʒ i / pronunciation is the more common one in the United Kingdom. The / ˈ m ɛ t əl ɜːr dʒ i / pronunciation is the more common one in the United States US and is the first-listed variant in various American dictionaries, including Merriam-Webster Collegiate and American Heritage.