▁BC ▁mer cur y ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁make ▁am alg ams ▁( Med ieval ▁Latin ▁am alg ama , ▁" al loy ▁of ▁mer cur y ") ▁with ▁other ▁met als . ▁Al chem ists ▁thought ▁of ▁mer cur y ▁as ▁the ▁First ▁M atter ▁from ▁which ▁all ▁met als ▁were ▁formed . ▁They ▁believed ▁that ▁different ▁met als ▁could ▁be ▁produced ▁by ▁varying ▁the ▁quality ▁and ▁quantity ▁of ▁sul fur ▁contained ▁within ▁the ▁mer cur y . ▁The ▁pur est ▁of ▁these ▁was ▁gold , ▁and ▁mer cur y ▁was ▁called ▁for ▁in ▁attempts ▁at ▁the ▁trans mut ation ▁of ▁base ▁( or ▁imp ure ) ▁met als ▁into ▁gold , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁many ▁al chem ists . ▁ ▁H g ▁is ▁the ▁modern ▁chemical ▁symbol ▁for ▁mer cur y . ▁It ▁comes ▁from ▁hyd r arg yr um , ▁a ▁Latin ized ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁Greek ▁word ▁ <0xCE> <0x8E> δ ρ α ρ γ υ ρ ος ▁( h yd r arg y ros ), ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁comp ound ▁word ▁meaning ▁" water - sil ver " ▁( h yd r - ▁= ▁water , ▁arg y ros ▁= ▁silver )   — ▁since ▁it ▁is ▁liquid ▁like ▁water ▁and ▁sh iny ▁like ▁silver . ▁The ▁element ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁Roman ▁god ▁Mercur y , ▁known ▁for ▁speed ▁and ▁mob ility . ▁It ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁planet ▁Mercur y ; ▁the ▁ast ro log ical ▁symbol ▁for ▁the ▁planet ▁is ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁the