The chemical element "
Neon", atomic number 10, was named for the Greek «
νεο» because it was newly discovered (by Sir William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers in 1898). Neon is a "
noble gas" that can be used in what are called "
neon lights". Different gases yield different colors.
The modern Greek word
"νέος" (NEH-os) ≈ "new". The Greek prefix «
νεο», as in "
neolithic", means "
new".
neon: orange
hydrogen: red
helium: yellow
carbon dioxide: white
mercury: blue
The first neon light was by Georges Claude and first appeared at the Paris Motor Show in 1910.