Hambar

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Hambar arabice ambra.


Apparatus:

Hambar {Hãbar p) B efp | Hambea j {‘r’ misread as ‘e’} | Hambair AC


Translation:

Hambar is Arabic for Latin ambra {"ambergris"}.


Commentary:


Hambar:
Wehr (1976): ﻋﻨﺒﺮ /ʕanbar/ "ambergris, sperm whale".

This Arabic word is the source of medieval Latin ambrum, ambra, the original meaning being "ambergris", i.e. the waxy substance floating in tropical seas originating as a secretion in the intestines of sperm whales, and which was used in perfumery. It was only later that confusion arose with the yellow coloured fossilized tree resin. This led to attempts at distinguishing the two different substances by adding colour adjectives; cf. French ambre jaune and ambre gris. [1], [2].


WilfGunther 24/11/2013


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