Khmeía

Khmeía is the transliteration of the modern Greek χημεία, which denotes chemistry, the branch of science that studies matter: its properties, composition, structure, and the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions. In its Greek usage, khmeía covers both the general discipline and its educational practice, from high school laboratories to university research settings. The term aligns with the international science vocabulary, and Greek scientists refer to the field as χημεία in contemporary publications and curricula.

Modern Greek χημεία is the counterpart of the English chemistry and is linked to the global history of chemistry, which traces many ideas from early alchemical traditions to modern molecular science. The modern term was established in parallel with the standardization of scientific terminology in the 19th century. The transliteration khmeía reflects Greek phonology, where χ is pronounced as a voiceless velar fricative, commonly transliterated as 'kh' or 'ch'.

Subfields of khmeía include organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, and biochemistry, as well as specialized areas such as materials chemistry and environmental chemistry. The discipline underpins drug development, energy storage, catalysis, materials synthesis, and quality control. In Greece, as elsewhere, chemistry education begins in secondary schools with practical laboratory work and continues at universities and research institutes.

The Greek term is primarily used within Greek-language contexts; in international communication, the English term chemistry is used, but χημεία appears in Greek translations and scholastic writings.