Etymology Map
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Ebru

3 stages from Persian to English.

Today it means the Turkish art of marbling paper by floating colours on water

Where does the word "ebru" come from? It comes from Persian ābrū, passing through Ottoman Turkish before entering English (1900s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
ābrū
Persian · medieval
"water surface, cloudy"
perhaps 'face of water', or 'cloud-like', for the swirling patterns
2
Stage 2 of 3
ebru
Ottoman Turkish · 1500s
"marbled paper"
calligraphers used marbled sheets for book covers and borders; Europeans called imports 'Turkish paper'
3
Stage 3 of 3
ebru
English · 1900s
"paper marbling"
UNESCO listed Turkish ebru as intangible heritage in 2014
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Read the full story

Ebru’s story begins in Persian: ābrū meant “water surface, cloudy.” Perhaps 'face of water', or 'cloud-like', for the swirling patterns. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Ottoman Turkish as ebru. Calligraphers used marbled sheets for book covers and borders; Europeans called imports 'Turkish paper'. It reached English by 1900s as ebru. UNESCO listed Turkish ebru as intangible heritage in 2014. Today, ebru means the Turkish art of marbling paper by floating colours on water.