[goosefraba]

Could I get some help with this question?

The experiment involves both iodine and iodide. In the common nomenclature used, what do the endings -ide and -ine generally refer to? Why are the species cyanide and hydroxide exceptions to this general nomenclature?

Thank you

[rjb]

Goosefraba,

No doubt somebody will come up with a more accurate answer than mine, but from what little I can remember from when I looked into nearly the same question when I was in school -ine means 'like' or 'resembling'. So Bromine would be roughly translated as 'Resembling Stench or bad smell' and Iodine would be something like 'resembling purple'.

The suffix -ide tends to relate to compounds such as salts etc., with the -ide suffix generally being tied to the portion of the compound with the stronger electron affinity. Assuming this is the case, then hydroxide and cyanide species would not be exceptions to the nomenclature.

One question that does suddenly occur is, how were compounds such as cadaverine, putrescine named? Is the presence of the -ine suffix due to the presence of amine f.g's or because their odour resembles cadavers and putrescence respectively?!

Kind Regards

R

[rjb]

Goosefraba,

My apologies, I completely mistook your question as an abstract query about the root of the -ine suffix rather than as a specific question... me going off on a tangent again!

In strictly general terms the -ine suffix is most commonly associated with elemental halogens and -ide with their common salts (halides). What the question that you were set is perhaps trying to get at is that in that the hydroxide and cyanide species could be considered as exceptions as they are non-halides with the -ide suffix. However halides cannot really claim the -ide suffix as their own, evinced by such species as hydroxides, cyanides, phosphides, hydrides, sulphides, arsenides and carbides to name but a few!

I hope this hasn't confused things even more...

Regards

R