An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Scharlach

by Friedrich Kluge

Scharlach, masculine, ‘scarlet,’ from the equivalent Middle High German scharlach, scharlachen, neuter, which is, as is shown by Dutch scharlaken, a corruption of Middle High German scharlât, the word being thus connected with Laken (Middle High German lachen, ‘cloth’); scharlât (compare English scarlet, Middle English scarlat) is formed from Old French escarlate (Modern French écarlate), ‘scarlet stuff.’ Compare Middle Latin scarlatum, Italian scarlatto. The ultimate source of the word is Oriental; compare Persian sakirlât (Turk. iskerlet).