silken

The story

1. Old Chinese絲 (*sə)der.?
2. Ancient Greekσήρ (sḗr)
3. Ancient Greekσηρῐκός (sērĭkós)
4. Late Latinsēricus
5. Proto-West Germanic*seluk
6. Old Englishseolc
7. Old Englishseolcen
8. Middle Englishsilken
9. English todaysilken

From Middle English silken, selken, from Old English seolcen, from seolc (“silk”) + -en, from an unattested early Proto-West Germanic borrowing from Latin sēricum, from Ancient Greek σηρικός (sērikós, “silken”), from σήρ (sḗr, “silkworm”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”). Equivalent to silk + -en (“made of”). Cognate with Scots silken (“silken”), Icelandic silki (“silken”).

Words from the same roots