Carbonatation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of introducing carbon dioxide into a liquid leading to the creation of carbonates results in fizzy beverages and other products
2. The process of dissolving carbon dioxide in a liquid creates carbonates, which can enhance the taste and effervescence of beverages
3. Introducing carbon dioxide into a solution induces the formation of carbonic acid, producing a sparkling effect in drinks and various compounds

Etymology: Carbonatation is a plain formation: English "carbonate" plus the suffix "-ation", which turns a verb into a noun for the act or process. The base "carbonate" is itself built from "carbon", the element named from Latin "carbo", meaning charcoal or coal. So the word names the process of charging a liquid with carbon dioxide, the way a soft drink gets its fizz. The suffix does most of the work here. "-ation" attaches to many chemical verbs (oxidation, hydration, sulfation) to name a process, and "carbonate" as a verb means to saturate something with carbon dioxide, which is what the word describes. The chain of meaning runs from charcoal, to the element, to the compound, to the act of dissolving that gas in water.