'ammoniate' originates from the combination of 'ammonia' and the suffix '-ate', where 'ammonia' refers to the compound NH3 and '-ate' is used to form verbs indicating a process or action.

'Ammonia' comes from the Latin word 'ammoniacus', which referred to the salt of Ammon, and '-ate' is a common English suffix used to form verbs.

Initially, it meant 'to treat with ammonia', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.