Ivory
/ˈaɪ.vər.i/noun
A hard, white material from the tusks of elephants and some other animals, used especially for carving and ornament.
Did you know?The English word ultimately came through Old French from Latin *ebur*, and in antiquity ivory was so prized that it became a status symbol for rulers, cult objects, and elite craftsmanship.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h1eǵʷ-
“A root associated with ivory/elephant in the ancient Mediterranean trade sphere is not securely reconstructible; the later history is better traced through borrowing rather than inherited PIE ancestry.”
Latin
Latin
ebur
“Ivory; the tusk material of elephants.”
Old French
Old French
ivurie / ivoire
“Ivory.”
Middle English
English
ivorie
“Ivory.”
Modern English
English
ivory
“The hard white material from elephant tusks and similar animal tusks.”