When the term seersucker was first mentioned in a 1722 historical magazine, it was written as sea sucker. Other variations of the spelling at that time included seesucker, sirsaka, and searsucker. These variations all indicate the word’s origin from the Hindi word sirsakkar, which appeared strange due to improper transliteration. Sirsakkar originates from the Persian phrase sir o sekar, meaning “milk and sugar,” likely referencing the alternating stripes of the fabric. The word sir, which is related to the Serbian word for “cheese” (also sir), comes from the Proto-Indo-European root suhros, signifying “salty” or “bitter.” On the other hand, sekar, linked to various European words for “sugar,” derives from the Proto-Indo-European reconstruction karkeh, meaning “gravel.”
