pomander

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*n̥mr̥tós“immortal”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromᾰ̓́μβροτος“divine, immortal; belonging to the gods”
3. Medieval Latin · derived frompōmum dē ambra
4. Old French · derived frompome d'embre
5. English todaypomander

From Old French pome d'embre (literally “apple of ambergris”), from Medieval Latin pōmum dē ambra: pōmum (“fruit”) (possibly from *po-emo (“picked off”)); ambra (“amber; ambergris”) (probably from ambrosia (“food or unguent of the gods”), from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́μβροτος (ắmbrotos, “divine, immortal; belonging to the gods”), from Proto-Indo-European *n̥mr̥tós (“immortal”)).

First known use, by meaning

• from late 15th c. A mixture of aromatic substances, made into a ball and carried by a person to impart a sweet smell or as a protection against infection.