A component of acids, this gas discovered in 1774 gets its name from the Greek words for "acid" & "forming"
The name oxygen was created by Antoine Lavoisier who incorrectly believed 
that... [DOC] [TLE] Chemical Element: oxygen - Word Information [PAR] Greek: oxys, "sharp", plus gen, "forming"; from the incorrect belief that oxygen ... 
Year discovered: 1772 (by Scheele) and in 1774 (by Priestley).