Where does “ambre gris” come from?

ambre gris (French) comes from French ambre, from Middle French ambre, from Old French ambre, from Latin ambar, from Arabic عَنْبَر, from Middle Persian ʾmbl — ambergris.

ambre gris (French): ambergris

Definitions

  1. ambergris

Ancestry of “ambre gris”, step by step

ambre gris traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French ambre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchambreamber
2Middle Frenchambreamber
3Old Frenchambre—
4Latinambar—
5Arabicعَنْبَرamber; ambergris
6Middle Persianʾmblambergris

via French gris

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchgrisgrey, gray; drunk, tipsy; gray
2Old Occitangris—
3Frankishgrīsgrey
4Proto-Germanicgrīsazgrey; terrible; frightening
Every word from Middle Persian ʾmbl →Every word from Arabic عَنْبَر →Every word from Latin ambar →