Where does “sĕlak” come from?
sĕlak (Malay) comes from English shellac, from English lác, from Portuguese laca, from Persian لاک, from Urdu لاکھ, from Maharastri Prakrit 𑀮𑀓𑁆𑀔, from Sanskrit लक्ष, from Sanskrit लक्ष् — to protect.
sĕlak (Malay): to open, to uncover, to pull up (of fabric, curtains)
Definitions
- to open, to uncover, to pull up (of fabric, curtains)
Ancestry of “sĕlak”, step by step
sĕlak traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English shellac
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shellac | A processed secretion of the lac insect, "Coccus... |
| 2 | English | lác | A resinous substance or lacquer produced mainly on the banyan tree by the female of Kerria lacca, a scale insect |
| 3 | Portuguese | laca | lake; lac |
| 4 | Persian | لاک | trough, wooden vessel |
| 5 | Urdu | لاکھ | lakh, lac |
| 6 | Maharastri Prakrit | 𑀮𑀓𑁆𑀔 | — |
| 7 | Sanskrit | लक्ष | a mark, sign, token; a mark to aim at, target,... |
| 8 | Sanskrit | लक्ष् | perceive, observe; recognise; to mark, sign |
| 9 | Sanskrit | रक्ष् | to protect, guard, watch, take care of, save,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | Hrakṣ- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | Hrakš- | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂lek- | to protect |