sericulture

The story

1. Old Chinese · derived from絲“silk”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromΣῆρες“the Chinese people; the land of the Chinese, China”
3. Latin · derived fromsēricus“of or pertaining to the Seres or Chinese; (by extension) made of silk, silken”
4. French · derived fromculture“crop; culture”
5. Late Latin · derived fromsēricum“Chinese goods, especially silk”
6. French · derived fromsériciculture“sericulture”
7. French · borrowed fromsériculture
8. English todaysericulture

Possibly borrowed from French sériculture, a modification of French sériciculture (“sericulture”) (or directly from sériciculture), from Late Latin sēricum (“Chinese goods, especially silk”) + French culture (“crop; culture”). Sēricum is derived from Latin sēricus (“of or pertaining to the Seres or Chinese; (by extension) made of silk, silken”), from Sēres (“northern Chinese people”), from Ancient Greek Σῆρες (Sêres, “the Chinese people; the land of the Chinese, China”), plural of Σήρ (Sḗr, “(rare, usually in plural) Chinese person; silkworm”), possibly from Old Chinese 絲 (*slɯ, “silk”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from early 19th c. The rearing of silkworms for the production of silk.