Where does “carnation” come from?
carnation (French) comes from Middle French carnation, from Italian carnagione, from Italian carne, from Latin carnem, from Latin carō, from Proto-Italic karō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱer-, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥- — army.
carnation (French): a fleshy pinkish color; skin tone
Definitions
- a fleshy pinkish color; skin tone
Ancestry of “carnation”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | carnation | person's color or complexion |
| 2 | Italian | carnagione | complexion |
| 3 | Italian | carne | meat, flesh |
| 4 | Latin | carnem | accusative singular of carō |
| 5 | Latin | carō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | karō | piece, portion; meat |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |