ember
n.n. a small piece of wood that is still burning but not bright. In old stories, it often represents a tiny spark of hope or life that remains after everything else is gone.
n. a glowing fragment of wood or coal that has not yet extinguished. In a religious or literary context, it frequently serves as a metaphor for a small but persistent spark of faith, hope, or life.
He blew on the ember to make it burn again.
The old man sat by the dying ember of the fire, trying to keep the last bit of warmth.
The poet describes the soul as a tiny ember, flickering in the darkness of the world, waiting for the breath of divine grace to reignite its flame.
From Middle English embre, eymbre, aymer, eymere, emeri, from Old English ǣmyrġe, from Proto-West Germanic aimuʀjā, from Proto-Germanic aimuzjǭ, a compound of aimaz + uzjǭ. The latter is from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ews- (“to burn”). The b is intrusive and was added in English for ease of pronunciation when the vowel of the second syllable (y) disappeared. See also Old High German eimuria (“pyre”), Danish emmer, Swedish mörja (“embers”).
From Middle English embryne (“running around, circuit”), from Old English ymbryne (“course; circuit”). Spelling changed through folk etymology. By surface analysis, umb- + run.