*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of amba

Borrowed from Amharic ዐምባ (ʿämba).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A characteristic landform in Ethiopia: a steep-sided, flat-topped mountain, often the site of a settlement.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Amharic ዐምባ (ʿämba).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "am:ዐምባ",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Amharic\", \"term\" : \"ዐምባ\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"am\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"amba\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"amba\">\nBorrowed from Amharic ዐምባ (ʿämba)."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "am:ዐምባ",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Amharic ዐምባ (ʿämba)."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ዐምባ",
      "ዐምባ#Amharic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A characteristic landform in Ethiopia: a steep-sided, flat-topped mountain, often the site of a settlement."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A blended mash of mainly pickled mango, used as a side dish or condiment.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Arabic عَمْبَة (ʕamba) and Hebrew עמבה; ultimately from Sanskrit आम्र (āmra).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "عَمْبَة"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic عَمْبَة (ʕamba)"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "he",
        "3": "עמבה"
      },
      "expansion": "Hebrew עמבה"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sa",
        "3": "आम्र"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit आम्र (āmra)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "عَمْبَة",
      "عمبة#Arabic"
    ],
    [
      "עמבה",
      "עמבה#Hebrew"
    ],
    [
      "आम्र",
      "आम्र#Sanskrit"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A blended mash of mainly pickled mango, used as a side dish or condiment."
      ],
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        "uncountable"
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for amba →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YW1iYQ