Kermes
/ˈkɜːr.mɪz/noun
A red dye made from scale insects, or the insects themselves.
Did you know?Kermes dye came from tiny scale insects harvested and crushed in the Mediterranean, and its name traveled through Arabic and Latin before giving English the famous red color word crimson.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kermes
“A kind of scale insect used for red dye”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
qirmiz
“The kermes insect and the red dye made from it”
Medieval Latin
Latin
carmesinus
“Crimson-red dye or color”
14th Century
English
kermes
“The insect source of a red dye”
Modern English
English
kermes
“A red dye made from scale insects, or the insects themselves”