The common usage word ‘ochre’, comes from an old French term ‘ oker' or ' ocer’ meaning ‘pale yellow’ but has evolved in the English language to refer to any pigment that is derived from the processing of minerals and mineral aggregate (rock and clay).
Ocher is a native earth colored with hydrated iron oxide. It varies in color from pale yellow to deep red, brown, and violet. There are two kinds: one has a clayey basis, while the other is a chalky earth.