'alchemist' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'al-kīmiyāʾ', where 'al-' meant 'the' and 'kīmiyāʾ' meant 'alchemy'.

'al-kīmiyāʾ' transformed into the Old French word 'alquemiste', and eventually became the modern English word 'alchemist' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'a practitioner of alchemy', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.