Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lacquer” come from?

Lacquer comes from French lacque, from Portuguese laca, from Persian لاک, from Urdu لاکھ, from Sanskrit लाक्षा, derived from the Sanskrit root लक्ष् meaning to mark or paint, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewk-.

lacquer (English): A glossy, resinous material used as a surface...

Definitions

  1. A glossy, resinous material used as a surface...

Ancestry of “lacquer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchlacquea sort of sealing wax
2Portugueselacalake; lac
3Persianلاک—
4Urduلاکھlakh, lac
5Maharastri Prakrit𑀮𑀓𑁆𑀔—
6Sanskritलक्षa mark, sign, token; a mark to aim at, target,...
7Sanskritलक्ष्perceive, observe; recognise; to mark, sign
8Sanskritरक्ष्to protect, guard, watch, take care of, save,...
9Proto-Indo-AryanHrakṣ-—
10Proto-Indo-IranianHrakš-—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂lek-to protect

Words derived from “lacquer”

  • lacquering
  • lacquerware
  • lacker
  • lacquerwork
  • lacquerer
  • lacquerlike
  • relacquer
  • lacquerless
  • lacquerable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂lek- →