Amber has many names. The name “amber” (eng. amber) comes from the Late Latin word “ambar”, which in turn comes from the Arabic “anbar”. There was a lot of confusion between the English amber and a completely different substance, which is formed in the intestines of the whale and is in very great demand as a necessary ingredient of the finest perfumes.
The ancient Greeks called it an electron (from the star Electra in the constellation Taurus). Their descendants now have a different meaning in the name of the stone and called it “Veronica”, i.e. the bearer of victory.
The Turks gave the name “kehribar” (thief of straw), the Finns – “Merikivi” (stone of the sea). Consonant are the Russian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Hungarian names for amber: “amber”, “gintaras”, “dzintars”, “iyanta”. The Germans call amber bernstein – a distorted “combustible stone” because amber burns easily, burns with a beautiful flame with a pleasant smell.
From here probably the term “burshtyn” started – that is what amber is called in Ukraine and in Poland. Under the name “stone-alatyr”, “latyr-stone” he is sung in Russian folk tales and epics.
The Norse names for amber are “rav” and “raf” – Denmark and “rafr” – Iceland.
The word “Amber” sounds in the male Gintaris name, in the names of the village of Amber and the brand train “Yantar”. And the shore on which the gray waves of the Baltic bring this gem, we call amber.