lac

Where does the word "lac" come from? It comes from Sanskrit laksha, passing through Prakrit, Hindi and Persian before entering English (1600s).

Lac’s story begins in Sanskrit: laksha meant “red resinous dye.” Literally '100,000', a reference to the vast numbers of insects that produce the resin. By ancient/medieval, the word had taken hold in Prakrit as lakkha. The vernacular form carried the word into everyday speech. From there it passed into Hindi as lakh by medieval. Settled as the everyday North Indian word for the resin. Persian picked it up next, as lak, around medieval. Traders adopted the Hindi word for the traded commodity. It reached English by 1600s as lac. Entered English via Persian-Indian trade for the insect resin used in varnish. Today, lac means a resinous secretion of the lac insect, used to make shellac, varnish, and dye.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient laksha "red resinous dye", literally '100,000', a reference to the vast numbers of insects that produce the resin.
2. Stage 2 · Prakrit · ancient/medieval lakkha "the resin", the vernacular form carried the word into everyday speech.
3. Stage 3 · Hindi · medieval lakh "the scarlet resin", settled as the everyday North Indian word for the resin.
4. Stage 4 · Persian · medieval lak "resin used in varnish and dye", traders adopted the Hindi word for the traded commodity.
5. Stage 5 · English · 1600s lac "a resinous secretion used for varnish and dye", entered English via Persian-Indian trade for the insect resin used in varnish.