Where does “amber” come from?
Amber comes from Middle English ambre, from Middle French ambre, from Arabic عَنْبَر, from Latin amphora, from Ancient Greek ἀμφορεύς, from ἀμφιφορεύς, ultimately from ἀμφί and Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi.
amber (English): Ambergris, the waxy product of the sperm whale; A...
Definitions
- Ambergris, the waxy product of the sperm whale; A...
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 |