# Serican

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈsɛrɪkən/

## Definitions
1. Synonym of Chinese or Northern Chinese, chiefly in the context of ancient Greco-Roman knowledge of China.

## Etymology
From Latin Sēricānus, from Sērica (“Serica, China, ancient northern China”) + -ānus (“-an”), from Ancient Greek Σηρικά (Sēriká), from σήρ (sḗr, “silkworm”), and possibly ultimately from Old Chinese 絲 (*sə, “silk”). Equivalent to Serica + -an. Doublet of Seric.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/serican