amber
→
electricity
5 realizations
-
Comment
| ACCEPTED Realization 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Semantic evolution | |
| language 1 | Ancient Hebrew | |
| language 2 | Modern Hebrew | |
| lexeme | khašmál | |
| meaning 1 | electrum, amber | |
| direction | → | |
| meaning 2 | electricity | |
| reference | Klein 1987 | |
| comment |
Meanwhile, the meaning A is uncertain. The modern sense of electricity was coined by Judah Leib Gordon in 1880, based on the fact that Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον 'amber; electrum, alloy of gold and silver', from which electricity is derived, was used to translate the term in the Septuagint. |
|
| ACCEPTED Realization 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Derivation | |
| language | Icelandic | |
| lexeme 1 | raf | |
| lexeme 2 | rafmagn | |
| meaning 1 | amber | |
| direction | → | |
| meaning 2 | electricity | Vélin gengur fyrir rafmagni The motor runs on electricity |
| reference | ISLEX | |
| comment | Lit. 'the force of amber'. Also rafgeymir 'battery', lit. 'the keeper of amber'. | |
| ACCEPTED Realization 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Modern Written Arabic | |
| lexeme | kahrabā (كَهْرَبَاء) | |
| meaning 1 | (obsolete) amber | |
| direction | → | |
| meaning 2 | electricity | |
| reference | Wehr | |
| comment | From the Persian kahrubā (کهربا) 'amber', from Middle Persian khlpʾd (kah-rubāy) 'amber' lit. 'stealing hay'. also the Turk. kehribar, kehlibar 'amber, electricity', Kurd. kahrbā, kahrūbā 'amber, electricity'. Цаболов 1, 529-530 | |