*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ember

From Middle English embre, eymbre, aymer, eymere, emeri, from Old English ǣmyrġe, from Proto-West Germanic *aimuʀjā, from Proto-Germanic *aimuzjǭ, a compound of *aimaz + *uzjǭ. The latter is from Proto-Indo-European *h₁e

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 piece of coal or wood glowing by heat; a hot coal. · Smoldering ash.

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

From Middle English embre, eymbre, aymer, eymere, emeri, from Old English ǣmyrġe, from Proto-West Germanic *aimuʀjā, from Proto-Germanic *aimuzjǭ, a compound of *aimaz + *uzjǭ. The latter is from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ews- (“to burn”). The b is intrusive and was added in English for ease of pronunciation when the vowel of the second syllable (y) disappeared. See also Old High German eimuria (“pyre”), Danish emmer, Swedish mörja (“embers”).

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": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₁ews-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "embre"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English embre"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ǣmyrġe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ǣmyrġe"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*aimuʀjā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *aimuʀjā"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*aimuzjǭ"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *aimuzjǭ"
    },
    {
      "name": "compound",
      "args": {
        "1": "gem-pro",
        "2": "*aimaz",
        "3": "*uzjǭ",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "*aimaz + *uzjǭ"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₁ews-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to burn"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₁ews- (“to burn”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "eimuria",
        "t": "pyre"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German eimuria (“pyre”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "emmer"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish emmer"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "mörja",
        "t": "embers"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish mörja (“embers”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "embre",
      "embre#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "eymbre",
      "eymbre#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "aymer",
      "aymer#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "eymere",
      "eymere#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "emeri",
      "emeri#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ǣmyrġe",
      "æmyrge#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*aimuʀjā",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/aimuʀjā"
    ],
    [
      "*aimuzjǭ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/aimuzjǭ"
    ],
    [
      "*aimaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/aimaz"
    ],
    [
      "*uzjǭ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/uzjǭ"
    ],
    [
      "*h₁ews-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁ews-"
    ],
    [
      "eimuria",
      "eimuria#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "emmer",
      "emmer#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "mörja",
      "mörja#Swedish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A piece of coal or wood glowing by heat; a hot coal.",
        "Smoldering ash."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "f9763cc008bafcf044a33d7744cdd2259dcf03d9450b3ca529b880c4d9e1d6fd",
      "rawRecordSha256": "d1f4b8086f9f4457be1a48198deab14c76f38e68348abc9553a4f53fccda2d97",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 281953
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
adj

Making a circuit of the year or the seasons; recurring in each quarter of the year, as certain religious days set apart for fasting and prayer.

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

From Middle English embryne (“running around, circuit”), from Old English ymbryne (“course; circuit”). Spelling changed through folk etymology. By surface analysis, umb- + run.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionembryneenm · running around, circuit
  • Inherited-form mentionymbryneang · course; circuit
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "embryne",
        "t": "running around, circuit"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English embryne (“running around, circuit”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ymbryne",
        "t": "course; circuit"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ymbryne (“course; circuit”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "surf",
      "args": {
        "1": "+af",
        "2": "en",
        "3": "umb-",
        "4": "run",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "By surface analysis, umb- + run"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "embryne",
      "embryne#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ymbryne",
      "ymbryne#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "folk etymology",
      "folk etymology"
    ],
    [
      "umb-",
      "umb-#English"
    ],
    [
      "run",
      "run#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Making a circuit of the year or the seasons; recurring in each quarter of the year, as certain religious days set apart for fasting and prayer."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "8e46bb55bdefc9d5261eb196dfff0dca498f9c37dbcb3e062c8f7f7de9e8b2ea",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c723cf73e95ddc961430e38ddacb232d5a25ac7aaa4a8a293962a47cdfab197c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 281954
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 ember →

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-ZW1iZXI