amber
/ˈæmbər/
noun
Origin
Arabic
ʿanbar — ambergris (a substance from sperm whales)
Overview
Meaning Now
- Hard translucent fossilized resin, typically yellowish-brown in color, used in jewelry.
- A honey-yellow or brownish-yellow color.
- The color of the caution light in a traffic signal.
Language path
Arabic → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
ambre
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term 'amber' originally referred to ambergris, a fragrant substance produced by sperm whales. It was only later that the term was applied to fossilized tree resin due to the two materials being found washed up on beaches and sharing a somewhat similar appearance when polished.
Evolution
- Arabic (8th century)
ʿanbar
“ambergris”
Originally referred to the waxy substance found in the ocean.
- Old French (13th century)
ambre
“ambergris; fossil resin”
The meaning shifted as Europeans began to confuse fossilized resin with the ocean-found ambergris.
- Middle English (14th century)
ambre
“fossilized resin”
Connections
Word parts
amber
root
fossilized resin
Related across languages
French
ambre
amber
Spanish
ámbar
amber
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Related to amber
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.