'aurum' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'aurum', where the root 'aur-' meant 'gold' or 'shining'.

'aurum' remained the Latin word for gold into Late Latin and was adopted in scientific and scholarly contexts in English (giving the chemical symbol 'Au' and occasional specialized uses such as 'aurum').

Initially, it meant 'gold' or 'shining metal' in Latin; over time it has retained that core meaning but is now mainly used in technical, historical, or literary contexts rather than as the common English word 'gold'.