Ébène
/e.bɛn/noun
The French word for ebony, a dense, dark wood obtained from several tropical trees.
Did you know?The word traveled from Ancient Egyptian through Greek and Latin before reaching French, making ebony one of the world’s oldest recorded luxury-material names.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Egypt
Egyptian
ḥbny
“Ebony; a prized dark wood imported into Egypt from southern regions.”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
ἔβενος (ébenos)
“Ebony wood or the ebony tree.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
ebenus
“Ebony; the dark, valuable wood.”
Old French
Old French
ebene / eban
“Ebony wood.”
16th Century
French
ébène
“Ebony, especially the hard black wood used for luxury furniture and fine objects.”
Modern French
French
ébène
“Ebony; also used poetically for something intensely black or dark.”
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