köken: Inherited from Old Spanish vermejo (“red”), from Vulgar Latin *vermiclus, syncopated form of Latin vermiculus (“little worm”), from vermis (“worm”), ultimately in reference to Kermes vermilio, a species of scale insect used to make a crimson dye. Compare Portuguese vermelho. Compare also Proto-Slavic *čьrvenъ (“red”), which is a passive participle of *čьrviti (“to dye using *čьrvь”), where *čьrvь…
Inherited from Middle Persian (unattested, but borrowed into Arabic زِنْجَفْر (zinjafr, “cinnabar, vermilion”)), inherited from Old Persian 𐎿𐎡𐎣𐎲𐎽𐎢𐏁 (s-i-k-b-ru-u-š /sinkabruš/, “carnelian”). Achaemenid-era Akkadian 𒍢𒅔𒂵𒀊𒊒𒌑 (/ṣingabrû/, “carnelian”) is most likely not the source of the Persian, but rather an Akkadian transcription of the Persian word. For the etymology beyond Old Persian,…