Etymo

ivory

The hard material composing animal tusks.

Played on · Day 28 · word 2 of 5

A material becomes an adjective, then a name again

How ivory reached English

oldest first
  1. Latin

    ebur

    ‘ivory’

  2. Latin

    eboreus

    ‘of ivory’

  3. Medieval Latin

    eborium

    ‘ivory’

  4. Old French

    ivurie

  5. Anglo-French

    ivoire

  6. Middle English

    ivorie

  7. English

    ivory

The story of ivory

The route includes a Latin noun and its adjective, not just different languages.

Latin ebur, with the stem ebor-, lies behind eboreus, of ivory. Anglo-French ivoire led through Middle English ivorie to modern ivory.

Source

Merriam-Webster: ivory

Word History distinguishes the Latin noun and adjective and gives the French and English stages.

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