Silk is a smooth, shiny fabric made from the fine threads produced by silkworms. It is valued for being soft, strong, and luxurious.
“Silk” comes from Old English “seolc,” from a Germanic form borrowed from Latin “sericum,” meaning silk, itself from Greek “Sērikos,” ‘Chinese,’ referring to the Silk-producing Seres people. The word’s journey reflects the ancient Silk Road trade from East Asia to Europe. The fabric’s name carries its geographic origin inside it.
Silk is literally insect spit turned into luxury cloth—the threads come from silkworms spinning cocoons. The English word traces the same route as the trade itself, traveling from Asia into European languages. Every time you say ‘silk,’ you’re echoing thousands of years of global commerce.
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