ómra
[ˈoːmˠɾˠə]
The Irish word for the color amber is ómra.
ómra is used as a noun to refer to the specific color amber.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Did you know?
- The root of ómra originally referred to 'ambergris' which is a waxy substance produced by sperm whales rather than fossilized tree resin.
- The Arabic ancestor of ómra was used to describe a fragrance, reflecting how the substance was prized as a perfume base before it was primarily seen as a color.
- Because ómra is a relatively modern loanword, older Irish texts often used descriptors like buí for 'yellow' or ór for 'gold' to describe amber-colored objects.
Example conversation
Oisín and Saoirse are discussing the colours of a painting.
- OisínAn bhfuil ómra sa phictiúr seo?Is there amber in this picture?
- SaoirseTá, tá an t-uisce ómra.Yes, the water is amber.
- OisínIs mór an dath ómra ann.There is a lot of amber colour in it.
- SaoirseIs dath go hálainn é.It is a beautiful colour.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ómra, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ómra, CC BY-SA 4.0.
