Where does “vernis” come from?
vernis (Middle Dutch) comes from Old French vernis, from Medieval Latin vernix, from Latin veronix, from Byzantine Greek βερονίκη, from Ancient Greek βερονίκιον, from Ancient Greek Βερενίκη, from Ancient Macedonian Βερενῑ́κη, from Ancient Greek φέρω — shiny, light brown.
Ancestry of “vernis”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | vernis | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | vernix | varnish; resin |
| 3 | Latin | veronix | — |
| 4 | Byzantine Greek | βερονίκη | resin amber |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | βερονίκιον | soda |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Βερενίκη | a city in Lybia; bringer of victory |
| 7 | Ancient Macedonian | Βερενῑ́κη | — |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | φέρω | I bring, bear, carry |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | pʰérō | to bear |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |