English
serge
Serge comes from Old French sarge, from Latin sērica ‘silken, silk things’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek σήρ ‘silkworm’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσήρsḗr‘silkworm’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσηρικόςsērikós‘silken’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsērica‘silken, silk things’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*saricareconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sarge
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1834serge
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσήρsḗr‘silkworm’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσηρικόςsērikós‘silken’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsērica‘silken, silk things’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*saricareconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sarge
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1834serge
Earliest quotation: 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Richard Bentley: “Lucy, who had only seen her in either the…”
Linked words
through Ancient Greek σήρ ‘silkworm’
through Ancient Greek σηρικός ‘silken’
Another origin of serge
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400ci(e)rge
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cerge
- Englishtodayserge
Today it means
noun A type of worsted cloth.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek σήρ / serge