Etymologically
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crimson

Etymology and origin of the English word crimson

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From
Arabic قرمزي via Middle English

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkɹɪmzən/ (UK); /ˈkɹɪmzən/, /ˈkɹɪmsən/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English cremesin,[2][3] from Old Spanish cremesín, Italian cremesino and Medieval Latin cremesīnus,[2][3][4] all from Arabic قرمزي (qirmizī, “of the kermes”),[2][3][4][5] from Arabic قرمز (qirmiz, “kermes”), the insect from which a red dye was made.[2][4][3] Etymonline notes that the word reached most European languages from Italian through the export of Italian silk cloth.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cloth dyed deep purplish red, and that colour (early 15th century).[6][3][7]

Semantic evolution

The word passed from the name of a dye to the colour itself, as the same Arabic source did in Slavic words for “red”.[6] Figuratively it was linked with blood (before 1681).[7] The verb “to make crimson” dates from 1601 and “to become crimson”, especially in blushing, from 1805.[7][6][4]

Timeline

  • before 1400 – the colour or pigment.[7]
  • 1416 – as crymesyn, cremesin.[3]
  • about 1440 – adjective, deep purplish red.[7]
  • 1601 – verb, to make crimson.[7][4][3]
  • 1805 – verb, to become crimson, to blush.[7][6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A deep purplish red to vivid red colour.

Adjective

  1. Of a deep red colour.
  2. Bloody; sanguinary.

Verb

  1. To make or become deep red, especially to blush.

Word family

  • encrimson
  • kermes
  • carmine
  • cramoisy

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Crimson.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/crimson. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·