Definition of ivory

The origin of the word "ivory" can be traced back to Old French, where it was spelled as "ybarie" or "yvarie." This Old French word had a misunderstood meaning and was actually derived from the Old French word "ebvre," which meant "elephant" or "elephant tusk." The confusion arose because French merchants who imported elephant tusks from Asia and Africa often mistakenly thought that the tusks came from wild boars (known as "ebles" in French) that lived in the Ivory Coast of Africa. As a result, the French started referring to these tusks as "ebel vert," which translates to "green ivory." Over time, the French word "ebel vert" evolved into "ivoire vert," and eventually, the word "ivoire" became its own standalone term for the ivory tusks themselves. The French also began using the term "ivoire" to refer to ivory-colored materials, such as bones or teeth, which led to the broader modern meaning of the word "ivory" that we use today. In summary, the word "ivory" originated as a mix-up between elephant tusks and wild boar teeth, which eventually led to the term "ebel vert" and then "ivoire" becoming its own distinct word for ivory. The confusion arose because the French had a lack of familiarity with the source of elephant tusks and mistook them for "ebles" that came from the Ivory Coast.