Alkaliniser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A substance or apparatus that raises the pH of a liquid or material so that it becomes alkaline in character
2. Something used to render a solution or material alkaline by adding a base or basic compound to it
3. An agent or machine that increases alkalinity, making a fluid or substance more basic in its chemical nature

Etymology: Alkaliniser is a variant spelling of "alkalizer," a noun for a substance or device that makes something alkaline. The base word "alkali" reaches English from Arabic "al-qaly," meaning "the ashes of the saltwort plant," a plant whose ashes were a source of soda used in making glass and soap. Early chemists took "alkali" from that Arabic usage into Latin and then English, so the word's first meaning was a material obtained from burnt plant ash rather than any abstract property of chemistry. The "-ise" spelling reflects British conventions, where "-ise" is standard for verbs such as "alkalinise," and the noun "alkaliniser" is formed by adding the agent suffix "-er" to that verb. The "-ate" or "-ize" forms in American English produce "alkalizer" instead. Both spellings are in use, and the difference is orthographic rather than etymological.