'alumina", name given to aluminium oxide from Latin 'alumen', 'bitter', because of the bitter taste of alum stone.

English chemist Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829) called it "alumium" (1808), then amended this to "aluminum", which remains the U.S. word, but British editors in 1812 further amended it to "aluminium", the modern preferred British form, to better harmonize with other metallic element names (sodium, potassium, etc.)