almafi

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic عَظْم اَلْفِيل (ʕaẓm al-fīl, “elephant-bone”), from عَظْم (ʕaẓm, “bone”) + فِيل (fīl, “elephant”).

Cognate with Old Spanish almalfil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al.maˈfi/
• Rhymes: -i
• Hyphenation: al‧ma‧fi

Noun

almafi m

1. ivory (material)
   • 13th century CE, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Códice de los músicos, cantiga 299 (facsimile):

     Un freire dos da eſtrela tragia.
     a ſeu colo en que muito crija
     hũa omagen deſta que nos guia
     dalmafi que ſeu fill en braços tẽ
     De muitas maneiras ſc̃a maria

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Descendants

• Galician: marfil, almafí
• Portuguese: marfim