ebony

ebony · noun, adjective¹

1. EgyptianU13:n-Z4:M3 (hbnj)
2. Ancient Greekἕβενος (hébenos)
3. Latinhebenus
4. Latinebenius
5. Middle Englishebenif
6. Englishheben, hebeny
7. English todayebony

From earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius (“of ebony”), from Latin hebenus (“ebon tree”), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z4:M3

Ebony · proper noun²

From ebony. First used by African Americans in the 1970s.

Words from the same roots