How did the word watt come into language?

The word "watt" comes from the name of James Watt, a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer who played a crucial role in the development of the steam engine.

Here's a brief timeline of how the word came to be:

* 1765: James Watt began experimenting with and improving the steam engine, which was initially developed by Thomas Newcomen.

* 1882: The British Association for the Advancement of Science proposed using the term "watt" to denote the unit of power.

* 1889: The International Electrical Congress officially adopted the "watt" as the unit of power.

This naming convention was a tribute to Watt's significant contribution to the advancement of power technology.

It's worth noting that while the unit of power is named after Watt, he did not invent the concept of power. This was a concept developed by James Prescott Joule in the mid-19th century.

Therefore, the word "watt" represents not just a unit of measurement, but also a recognition of James Watt's groundbreaking work in the field of power generation.