English
amber
Amber comes from Old French aumbre, from Arabic عَنْبَر ‘ambergris’, and ultimately from Middle Persian 𐭠𐭭𐭡𐭫.
- Middle Persianc. 300 BCE–900 CE𐭠𐭭𐭡𐭫ʾnbl /ambar/‘ambergris’
- Arabicc. 500–presentعَنْبَرʕanbar‘ambergris’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400aumbre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ambre‘a bucket’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526amber
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Persianc. 300 BCE–900 CE𐭠𐭭𐭡𐭫ʾnbl /ambar/‘ambergris’
- Arabicc. 500–presentعَنْبَرʕanbar‘ambergris’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400aumbre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ambre‘a bucket’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526amber
Earliest quotation: 1526, The Grete Herball:: “Ambre is hote and drye […] Some say that…”
Every English word from Middle Persian 𐭠𐭭𐭡𐭫
Today it means
noun Ambergris, the waxy product of the sperm whale.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle Persian 𐭠𐭭𐭡𐭫 / amber