Tracing the Origins and Evolution of Chirality and Handedness in Chemical Language

Chirality, the key concept first proposed by Kelvin , was reintroduced in textbooks in the mid‐1960s. Since then, it has been the source of much reflection and inspiration. This Essay traces the nonchemical origins of the concept and its semantic connotations, which not only enrich the language of chemistry but also have ramifications in, for example, philosophy.