Etymology

alkermes

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Today it means: The desiccated bodies of certain insects (female Kermes ilicis and Kermes vermilio), which live on the kermes oak, formerly much used as a material for dye and a medicinal ingredient; also a given mixture, preparation etc. containing such insects. Full definition →

Middle French alkermès ← Spanish alquermes ← Arabic الْقِرْمِز
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The story

  1. Sanskrit · derived from[Term?]
  2. Classical Persian · derived fromکرمست
  3. Arabic · derived fromالْقِرْمِز
  4. Spanish · derived fromalquermes
  5. Middle French · derived fromalkermès
  6. English todayalkermes

From Middle French alkermès, probably from Spanish alquermes, from Arabic الْقِرْمِز (al-qirmiz), from Classical Persian کرمست (kirmist), from Middle Persian, from Sanskrit [Term?].

Words from the same roots

Classical Persianکرمست all →

crimson

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.