> > Hello,
> >
> > I wander how amber translates in Chinese since, in ancient times,
the
> > Chinese used to burn amber for its fragrance during ceremonies.
I am sure
> > they were buying it from Russia. And Russian paganism has strong
roots in
> > Buddism. I think it should be translated as 'a stone burning
> > white(flame)'.
> > AK
>
> As for my translation of Russian kamen' bel-goriuch, a regular
amber's periphrasis in folklore as well as in old written tradition, I
would not insist on my translation, as to give the correct one I at
least have to explain this construction, rather unusual even for
Russian ear, to myself. But I cannot.
>
The chinese word for amber is hu3po4, in middle chinese xuX phaek,
archaic chinese a/k-lha? a/phrak. It doesn't seem related to jantar' or
whatever IE word. It has no obvious etymology in chinese, although it
was sometimes written with characters meaning 'the soul of the tiger',
with the same pronounciation in middle chinese. It is a popular
etymology. The characters to write this word are very old in chinese,
but it is difficult to know when reading archaic text whether they
already meant amber.
I will try to see if there wasn't any other word for amber.
Guillaume.