ammoniac
‘a strong-smelling gum resin’
Lexical development traced from the Tamil root:
E.armoniak, armonyak(e), armenac < O.F. ammoniac < Gk. ammoniakos < ammon name of the Greek and Roman conception of the Egyptian sovereign sun-god Amun, literally ‘hidden’ < amuh < Tamil amma
Semantic evolution: The word ammoniac in the Online Etymology Dictionary refers to certain gums, earths or salts (sal ammoniac) containing ammonium chloride, found near a temple of Jupiter Ammon in Libya and used medicinally. The name Ammon may have been put to the word because of this. The word ammonia referring to the gas obtained from the above-mentioned salt may have got the name from the same Ammon. However, the word was in fact derived from Tamil amman connoting ‘goddess’