gallium (n.)

metalic element that melts in the hand, discovered by spectral lines in 1875 by French chemist Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1838-1912), who named it apparently in honor of his homeland (see Gallic), but it has been suggested that he also punned on his own name (compare Latin gallus "cock," for which see gallinaceous). With metallic element ending -ium.