*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of inky

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Ancient Greek ἐν (en) Ancient Greek ἐν- (en-) Proto-Indo-European *keh₂w- Proto-Hellenic *káwyō Ancient Greek καίω (kaíō) Ancient Greek καυστός (kaustós) Ancient Greek ἔγκαυστον (

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
adj

Synonym of black. · Containing or bearing ink, especially spattered or stained with ink.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Ancient Greek ἐν (en) Ancient Greek ἐν- (en-) Proto-Indo-European *keh₂w- Proto-Hellenic *káwyō Ancient Greek καίω (kaíō) Ancient Greek καυστός (kaustós) Ancient Greek ἔγκαυστον (énkauston)bor. Late Latin encaustumder. Old French enquebor. Middle English ynke English ink Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English inky From ink + -y.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "ink",
        "4": "-y<id:adjectival>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₁én\nAncient Greek ἐν (en)\nAncient Greek ἐν- (en-)\nProto-Indo-European *keh₂w-\nProto-Hellenic *káwyō\nAncient Greek καίω (kaíō)\nAncient Greek καυστός (kaustós)\nAncient Greek ἔγκαυστον (énkauston)bor.\nLate Latin encaustumder.\nOld French enquebor.\nMiddle English ynke\nEnglish ink\nProto-Indo-European *-kos\nProto-Germanic *-gaz\nProto-West Germanic *-g\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish inky\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"ink\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"type of ink\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"ἔγκαυστον\", \"id\" : \"burnt in\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"in\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"in\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"in\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₁én\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"ἐν\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"ἐν-\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" }, { \"id\" : \"burnt\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*keh₂w-\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Hellenic\", \"term\" : \"*káwyō\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"grk-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"καίω\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"καυστός\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"ἔγκαυστος\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Late Latin\", \"term\" : \"encaustum\", \"lang\" : \"la-lat\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"enque\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"ynke\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"ink\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"adjectival\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-kos\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-gaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-g\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-iġ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"inky\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"inky\">\nFrom ink + -y."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "ink",
        "4": "-y<id:adjectival>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₁én\nAncient Greek ἐν (en)\nAncient Greek ἐν- (en-)\nProto-Indo-European *keh₂w-\nProto-Hellenic *káwyō\nAncient Greek καίω (kaíō)\nAncient Greek καυστός (kaustós)\nAncient Greek ἔγκαυστον (énkauston)bor.\nLate Latin encaustumder.\nOld French enquebor.\nMiddle English ynke\nEnglish ink\nProto-Indo-European *-kos\nProto-Germanic *-gaz\nProto-West Germanic *-g\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish inky\nFrom ink + -y."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₁én",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁én#Proto-Indo-European:_in"
    ],
    [
      "ἐν",
      "ἐν#Ancient_Greek:_in"
    ],
    [
      "ἐν-",
      "ἐν-#Ancient_Greek:_in"
    ],
    [
      "*keh₂w-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/keh₂w-"
    ],
    [
      "*káwyō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/káwyō"
    ],
    [
      "καίω",
      "καίω#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "καυστός",
      "καυστός#Ancient_Greek:_burnt"
    ],
    [
      "ἔγκαυστον",
      "ἔγκαυστος#Ancient_Greek:_burnt_in"
    ],
    [
      "encaustum",
      "encaustum#Latin:_type_of_ink"
    ],
    [
      "enque",
      "enque#Old_French:_ink"
    ],
    [
      "ynke",
      "ynke#Middle_English:_ink"
    ],
    [
      "ink",
      "ink#English"
    ],
    [
      "*-kos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-kos#Proto-Indo-European:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "*-gaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-gaz#Proto-Germanic:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "*-g",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-g#Proto-West_Germanic:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "-iġ",
      "-ig#Old_English:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#Middle_English:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ],
    [
      "ink",
      "ink#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of black.",
        "Containing or bearing ink, especially spattered or stained with ink."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "80945a8c57af085787acdb998a0563a3ae6903eb39ec3f32079adf427903059c",
      "rawRecordSha256": "34c6cc5ee9affe5adf26fd40e0f0c9cbc67a1a1a6fa593570970db2101c65090",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 563099
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for inky →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-aW5reQ