Where does “ember” come from?
ember (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch ēmer, from Old Dutch *embar, from Proto-West Germanic ambrī, from Latin amphora, from Ancient Greek ἀμφορεύς, from Ancient Greek ἀμφιφορεύς, from Ancient Greek φορεύς, from Ancient Greek φορέω — shiny, light brown.
Ancestry of “ember”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | ēmer | — |
| 2 | Old Dutch | *embar | — |
| 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 |