Ink
/ɪŋk/noun
A colored fluid used for writing, printing, or drawing.
Did you know?The word comes from a Latin term for a dark fluid, and in medieval Europe ink was literally tied to authority because a written mark could bind law, memory, and fate.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*enk-
“to drip, pour”
Latin
Latin
encaustum
“purple-red ink or a burn-in writing fluid”
Late Latin
Latin
encaustum / encaustum atramentum
“dark writing ink”
Old French
Old French
enque
“ink”
Middle English
English
ink
“ink”