Etymology

The word water comes from Old English wæter, from Proto-Germanic *watar (source also of Old

Saxon watar, Old Frisian wetir, Dutch water, Old High
German wazzar, German Wasser, vatn, Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉 (wato), from Proto-Indo-European *wod-or,
suffixed form of root *wed- ("water"; "wet").[5] Also cognate, through the Indo-European root,
with Greek ύδωρ (ýdor), Russian вода́ (vodá), Irish uisce, and Albanian ujë.

History
Main articles: Origin of water on Earth §  History of water on Earth, and Properties of water §  History

Chemical and physical properties

Main article: Properties of water
See also: Water (data page) and Water model
Water (H
2O) is a polar inorganic compound that is at room temperature a tasteless and odorless liquid,

nearly colorless with a hint of blue. This simplest hydrogen chalcogenide is by far the most studied
chemical compound and is described as the "universal solvent" for its ability to dissolve many
substances.[6][7] This allows it to be the "solvent of life":[8] indeed, water as found in nature almost
always includes various dissolved substances, and special steps are required to obtain
chemically pure water. Water is the only common substance to exist as a solid, liquid, and gas in
normal terrestrial conditions. [9]