protyle
/ˈprəʊtʌɪl/(also prothyl) Science. Now historical
noun
A hypothetical original undifferentiated matter from which the chemical elements were supposed to derive.
Origin
Late 19th century; earliest use found in William Crookes (1832–1919), chemist and science journalist. Irregularly from proto- + ancient Greek ὕλη timber, material, (in philosophical language) matter; compare πρώτη ὕλη first matter or substance (Aristotle Metaphysics).