English
sepia
Sepia comes from Latin sēpia ‘cuttlefish’, and goes back to Ancient Greek σηπία.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσηπίαsēpía‘cuttlefish’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēpia‘cuttlefish’
- Englishearliest quotation 1930sepia
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσηπίαsēpía‘cuttlefish’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēpia‘cuttlefish’
- Englishearliest quotation 1930sepia
Earliest quotation: 1930, Aloys Merz, Sepia: “Sepia had some use in ancient times as a…”
Linked words
through Ancient Greek σήπω ‘to rot’
Today it means
noun A dark brown pigment made from the secretions of the cuttlefish.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek σηπία / sepia