katlaughing, thank you, that was interesting and informative. How about renaming it to "Kitchenfoilium" (Symbol, Ki) ?

Looking back over my posts, I wonder why "Tantalum" is not spelt or pronounced "tantalium". I know it is named after a character in Greek mythology - Tantalus, who for a punishment was immersed in a river in Hell while bunches of grapes waved just over his head. Every time he tried to pick a grape, the vines were pulled up out of reach and every time he bent to drink, the river dried up. Hence, "tantalising". No doubt Tantalum got this name because it is such an awkward element to separate and isolate (in most ores, it forms a stoichiometric series of compounds with Niobium - no, don't ask).

In this case, British and other usage may have followed US practice. I will go home and dig out the copy of "Rutleys" which I last used over twenty years ago.