wolfram

Borrowed from German Wolfram, of obscure origin. Generally assumed to be derived from Wolf (“wolf”) +‎ Rahm (“cream, soot”), a calque of Latin lupi spuma (“wolf's froth”), coined by Georg Agricola in the 16th century and a term of contempt due to its lesser value compared to tin and its degradation to the tin smelting process. Else, possibly derived from a personal name, where the second element is derived from *hrabn (“raven”).