English
Serian
Serian comes from Latin Seres ‘the ancient northern Chinese’, and goes back to Ancient Greek σήρ ‘silkworm’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσήρsḗr‘silkworm’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΣῆρες‘the Chinese’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CESeres‘the ancient northern Chinese’
- Englishearliest quotation 1996Serian
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσήρsḗr‘silkworm’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΣῆρες‘the Chinese’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CESeres‘the ancient northern Chinese’
- Englishearliest quotation 1996Serian
Earliest quotation: 1996, Lawrence Norfolk, The Pope's Rhinoceros: “On the easternmost edge of the world were the…”
Formed from Seres + -ian
The story
From Seres + -ian, from Latin Seres (‘the ancient northern Chinese’), from Ancient Greek, possibly from the Old Chinese word for silk.
Linked words
through Old Chinese 絲 ‘silk’
through Ancient Greek σήρ ‘silkworm’
Today it means
adj Synonym of Chinese or Northern Chinese, chiefly in the context of ancient Greco-Roman knowledge of China and its role as the origin of silk.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek σήρ / Serian