Another common name for hydrochloric acid is muriatic acid. The word “muriatic” is derived from “muriate,” an archaic term for chloride compounds. During the early development of chemistry, hydrochloric acid was commonly produced by the reaction of common salt with sulfuric acid. This process generated hydrogen chloride gas, which was dissolved in water to form hydrochloric acid. The resulting acid solution was often referred to as “muriatic acid” due to its association with muriates, or chlorides.