Amphora

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæm.fə.ɹə/

Definitions

1. a large ancient Greek or Roman vessel with two handles used for storing or transporting liquids like wine or oil
2. an ancient two-handled container designed for holding and conveying wine, oil, or similar substances in Mediterranean civilizations
3. a classical-era jug featuring paired handles that served to store and ship wine, oil, or other commodities throughout the ancient world

Etymology: The Greek word "amphoreus" was built from "amphi," meaning "on both sides," and "pherein," meaning "to carry," so the name describes what the vessel does: it is carried by a handle on each side. The Mycenaean Greeks, who wrote in an early script called Linear B, already had a version of the phrase, recorded as "a-pi-po-re-we," meaning "carried on both sides." That makes the name older than the classical Greek pottery it later described. The Romans borrowed the Greek word as "amphora," and it came to name not just the jar but a unit of liquid measure, a standard volume for wine and oil. Because so much ancient trade moved in these two-handled containers, the word spread with the goods. The shape itself was sturdy enough to be stacked in ship holds, which is why so many examples survive on Mediterranean seabeds. Modern English took the word directly from Latin and Greek for scholarly writing about antiquity, so the term refers specifically to the ancient vessels rather than to any ordinary jug.

Synonyms: jar, vessel