[94] See Schindler’s Pentaglott, p. 1951, D.
In the more modern European languages we find two sets of terms for silk, the first evidently derived from the oriental Seric, but with the common substitution of l for r, the second of an uncertain origin. To the first set belong,
| Chelk, | silk, in Slavonian. |
| Silke, | —— in Suio-Gothic and Icelandic[95]. |
| Silcke, | —— in Danish. |
| Siolc or Seolc, | —— in Anglo-Saxon. Also Siolcen or Seolcen, silken; Eal, reolcen, Holosericus; Seolcpynm, silk-worm[96]. |
| Silk, | —— in English[97] |
| Sirig, | —— in Welsh[98]. |
To the second set belong,
| Seda, | silk, in the Latin of the middle ages. |
| Seta, | —— in Italian. |
| Seide, | —— in German. |
| Side, | —— in Anglo-Saxon. Also Sidene, silken, Ælfric as quoted by Lye; Sidpypm, silk-worm, Junius, l. c. |
| Sidan, | —— in Welsh. |
| Satin, | —— in French and English[99]. |
[95] Silki trojo ermalausa, a silk tunic without sleeves. Knitlynga Saga, p. 114, as quoted by Ihre, Glossar. Suio-Goth. v. Armalausa.
[96] Ælfric’s Glossary (made in the tenth century), p. 68. Appendix to Sumner’s Dictionary.
[97] Nicholas Fuller (Miscellanea, p. 248.) justly observes, Vocabulum Anglicanum Selk non nisi Sericum authorem generis sui agnoscit. Selk enim nuncupatum est quasi Selik pro Serik, literæ r in l facili commutatione factâ.
Minshew and Skinner give the same etymology.
[98] Junius, Etymologicum, v. Silk. It appears doubtful, however, whether Junius is here to be depended on.