Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “crimson” come from?

crimson (English) comes from Middle English cremesyn, from Middle French cremesin, from Old Spanish cremesin, from Arabic قِرْمِز, from Persian کرمست, from Sanskrit कृमिज, from Sanskrit कृमि, from Proto-Indo-Aryan kŕ̥miṣ — worm.

crimson (English): API on Wikipedia.Wikipedia; A deep, slightly...

Definitions

  1. API on Wikipedia.Wikipedia; A deep, slightly...

Ancestry of “crimson”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcremesyncrimson fabric; Made of crimson cloth;...
2Middle Frenchcremesin—
3Old Spanishcremesin—
4Arabicقِرْمِزcrimson, kermes; kermes
5Persianکرمست—
6Sanskritकृमिजproduced by worms
7Sanskritकृमिa worm, insect; "a spider"; a silk-worm
8Proto-Indo-Aryankŕ̥miṣ—
9Proto-Indo-Iraniankŕ̥mišworm
10Proto-Indo-Europeankʷŕ̥misworm

Words derived from “crimson”

  • encrimsoned
  • encrimson
  • crimsonly
  • crimsonness
  • crimsoneth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷŕ̥mis →