Ochre
/ˈoʊkər/noun
A natural earth pigment ranging from yellow to deep orange or red, used since prehistoric times.
Did you know?Ochre was one of humanity’s earliest pigments, used in prehistoric cave art and burials, and its name traces back through Greek and Latin to an ancient word for a pale yellow earth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eḱro-
“Sharp, pointed, or bitter”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ōkhra (ὤχρα)
“Yellow ochre, a pale yellow earth pigment”
Latin
Latin
ochra
“Yellow earth pigment”
Old French
Old French
ocre
“Ochre, yellow earth pigment”
Middle English
English
ocre
“Ochre, yellowish earth pigment”
Modern English
English
ochre
“A yellow to reddish-brown earth pigment”