Orchil

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A natural pigment extracted from specific lichen species that produces a vibrant purple color for dyes in textiles and artworks
2. This coloring agent, sourced from particular lichens, is utilized to create a distinctive purple dye for fabrics and other materials
3. A dyeing material derived from certain lichens that yields a rich purple hue commonly used in textile and artistic applications

Etymology: The most surprising thing about orchil is that its name comes from the ear. The lichen that produces the purple dye was said to resemble a small ear, and Latin "auricula" (a diminutive of "auris", ear) was the source of the lineage. Latin "ōricilla" was a further diminutive of "ōricula", the variant of "auricula", so the word is a double diminutive, "little little ear" in effect. The word traveled a long route before reaching English. From Latin it passed into Italian as "oricello", then into Old Catalan as "orxella". Along the way it was reshaped by dialectal Arabic "'urjālla", which helped give the word its later form. Old French then carried it as "orchel" and "orseil", and Middle English took it as "orchell".

Synonyms: dye