Alabastron
/ˌæl.əˈbæs.trən/noun
A small vessel, traditionally made of alabaster, used in antiquity to hold perfumes or unguents.
Did you know?Alabastra were commonly used for precious oils and cosmetics, linking the object to funerary, religious, and elite personal rituals across the ancient Mediterranean.
Etymological Timeline
Late 2nd–1st Millennium BCE
Egyptian?
Uncertain source
“The ultimate origin is disputed; some scholars have proposed an Egyptian source connected with alabaster or stone vessels, but no secure derivation is established.”
5th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
ἀλάβαστρον (alábastron)
“A small perfume or ointment vessel, often made of alabaster or another fine stone.”
Classical Greek
Ancient Greek
ἀλάβαστος (alábastos)
“Alabaster; also used for a vessel made from that material.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
alabastrum
“A small alabaster vessel for perfumes or ointments.”
Middle English
English
alabastre
“Alabaster, especially as a material used for carved objects and vessels.”
Modern English
English
alabastron
“A specialized archaeological term for the ancient perfume vessel, while alabaster remains the ordinary material name.”
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