Where does “Amber” come from?
Amber comes from Middle French ambre, from Arabic عَنْبَر, from Latin amphora, from Ancient Greek ἀμφορεύς, which is related to ἀμφί and ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ-.
Amber (English): river
Definitions
- river
Ancestry of “Amber”, step by step
Amber traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English ambre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ambre | A bucket; a measure |
| 2 | Old English | amber | bucket |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | ambrī | bucket |
| 4 | Latin | amphora | A vessel, usually made of clay, with two handles... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀμφορεύς | jar with a narrow neck, amphora; a liquid... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἀμφιφορεύς | amphora, a large jar with two handles |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | φορεύς | bearer |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | φορέω | to bear repeatedly or habitually; to wear; to... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | φέρω | I bring, bear, carry |
| 10 | Proto-Hellenic | pʰérō | to bear |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |