Where does “marfil” come from?
marfil (Catalan) comes from Arabic عَظْم اَلْفِيل, from Arabic فِيل, from Middle Persian pyl, from Latin pirum — a pear.
marfil (Catalan): ivory
Ancestry of “marfil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Arabic | عَظْم اَلْفِيل | elephant-bone |
| 2 | Arabic | فِيل | elephant; the elephant |
| 3 | Middle Persian | pyl | elephant; bishop |
| 4 | Latin | pirum | a pear |