The alcohols can be looked upon as derived from methyl alcohol, the simplest member of the series, by replacing hydrogen of the CH3-group with various alkyl groups, thus: -

The name "carbinol" was proposed for methyl alcohol by Kolbe. As shown by the formulae above, ethyl alcohol can be described as "methyl carbinol," propyl alcohol as "ethyl carbinol," and so on.

If a second hydrogen atom is replaced, we get a secondary alcohol: -

C

CH3 CH3 H OH

Isopropyl alcohol. (Dimethyl carbinol.)

Similarly, if all three hydrogen atoms are replaced by alkyl groups, tertiary alcohols result. This method of formulation and this nomenclature are often convenient.

The systematic names, "methanol," "ethanol," "propanol," and so on, have also been proposed for the methyl, ethyl, propyl, etc., alcohols. They indicate the relationships with the corresponding hydrocarbons, methane, ethane, propane, etc.; whilst the termination "ol" signifies that the substances are alcohols. The position of the OH-group is indicated when necessary by a numeral; thus isopropyl alcohol, CH3CH(OH)CH3, would be 2-propanol.