Where does “beige” come from?
beige (French) comes from Middle French beige, from Old French bege, from Vulgar Latin bysseus, from Latin byssus, from Ancient Greek βύσσος, from Hebrew בּוּץ — byssus.
beige (French): beige
Definitions
- beige
Ancestry of “beige”, step by step
beige traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French beige
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | beige | — |
| 2 | Old French | bege | color of undyed wool or cotton |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | bysseus | cottony grey; cotton-coloured |
| 4 | Latin | byssus | byssus or sea silk |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | βύσσος | flax; linen; Levant cotton |
| 6 | Hebrew | בּוּץ | byssus |