What is silk?

Silk is a continuous protein filament secreted by particular types of insects (sericigenous) commonly known as silkworms. Matured worms toss their heads in a figure eight, extruding a semi liquid mixture of protein, coated with a gummy substance called sericin from spinneret. The liquid silk thus ejected at the rate of about a foot per minute; becomes when expose to air, the fibre the worms use to create the fabulous silk.

Silk constitutes about 3% of the world textile trade. More than 30 countries produce silk, and India’s share in global raw silk production is nearly 17.5% behind China (79.10%).

Common name of silk

Arab- Kas, Khus,  Harir

Barmese – Tsa

Chinese –   Sec,Szu

Dutch-Zeide

English  -   Silk

French   -   Soie

Greek-Ser

German -   Seiden

Hindi     -  Resham

Icelandic- Silke

Italian    -   Seta

Japanese – Kinu

Kannada- Reshme

Kashmiri- Krimkas

Korean –    Soi

Latin- Sericum

 Manchu-Sirghe

Mangol –Sirkok

Malaya- Sutra

Malayalam- Pattu

Marathi-Resham

Parsian-Abresham

Russian  -   Sheiolk

Sanaskrit- Resham

Sweedish-Siden

Spanish - Seda

Tamil-Pattu

Telugu-Pattu

Turkey- Spek, Harir