ambergris

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈæm.bə.ɡɹɪs/ (UK); /ˈæm.bɚ.ɡɹɪs/, /ˈæm.bɚ.ɡɹis/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It comes from Middle English,^[2][3] from Middle French ambre gris (“grey amber”),^{[2][4][5][3][6]} from ambre “amber” and gris “grey”.^[2][4][5][3] French ambre goes back through Medieval Latin to Arabic عَنْبَر (ʿanbar),^[5] and gris is of Germanic origin.^[5] It is related to amber and grizzled.^[2][5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A grey waxy substance from the sperm whale, used in perfumery (probably before 1425; 1481–90 in the OED).^[4][5][7]

Semantic evolution

Its origin was known to Constantinus Africanus in the 11th century but remained a puzzle in Johnson's day;^[5] he recorded nine theories.^[5] It was formerly also used in cookery,^[5][7] and is now used as a fixative in perfumes.^[2][3]

Timeline

• before 1425 – ambergris.^[4]
• 1481–90 – the OED's first quotation.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A waxy, greyish substance formed in the intestines of sperm whales, found floating at sea or washed ashore, and used in perfumes to slow evaporation.

Related words

• amber
• grizzle
• grey

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press